JULY 2012 Wind Sy s tem MAg a zine FEATURES Company Profile: Global Energy Services Managing the Grid in Maui Kiting for Individual Pitch Control and Its Impact All Wires and Cables Are Not Created Equal Departments

Construction—Crane Service, Inc. Maintenance—Rev1 Renewables Technology—UMASS Wind Energy Center Logistics—Professional Logistics Group Q&A: Wayne Kilcollins

All Wi res a nd C bl es A re N o t reate d Eq ua l Northern Maine Community College JU L Y 2012 Protecting People, Assets and Profits through Hands-On Competency Training NTT partners with large multi-national wind energy companies to develop and implement cutting edge electrical qualification programs including hands-on demonstrations, custom procedures and qualification documentation specific to the wind energy industry.

NTT also has safety and skill training programs in: » Electrical Safety » National Electrical Code® » Compliance » Fluid Power » HVAC » Electrical and Electronics » Mechanical and Industrial Systems

More than a training company, NTT provides real world scenarios with hands-on equipment and exercises. Our master instructors use their over 30 years of field experience to build skills and confidence in students.

Visit us at www.nttinc.com/wind to learn more about our classes. Register for a public class or a customized on-site class and save 10%. Use discount code NTTWind when registering.

www.nttinc.com | 800.922.2820 Uptime, all the time

ÖLFLEX® cables can stop electrical failures before they stop your wind turbines.

Keep Running with LAPP ÖLFLEX® cables deliver unrivaled reliability in the field.

• Maintenance free tray cable • Best-of-class flexibility down to -40ºC • Resists oil, moisture and torsion

Download a free technical paper on oil resistance from our wind resource center at www.lappusa.com/wind.

WindSystems-LappAd.indd 1 4/5/12 10:55 AM The Largest and Most Important Offshore Wind Event in North America

More Than 1,400 Attendees

Over 100 Exhibitors

3 Program Tracks, 100+ Speakers, and 60+ Poster Presenters

Unparalleled Networking Opportunities

www.OFFSHOREwINDEXPO.ORG Access to Project Developers

AWEA EducAtionAl SEriES

FAll 2012 AWEA Regional Wind Energy Summit – New England September 5 – 6, 2012 4 Portland, ME I www.AWEANewEnglandMarkets.org GeneratinG Power with KnowledGe AWEA Wind Resource & Project Energy Assessment Seminar September 13 – 14, 2012 4 Pittsburgh, PA I www.AWEAResourceAssessment.org

AWEA Offshore WINDPOWER Conference & Exhibition October 9 – 11, 2012 4 Virginia Beach, VA I www.OFFSHOREWindExpo.org

AWEA Wind Energy Fall Symposium November 14 – 15, 2012 4 Chandler, AZ I www.AWEAFallSymposium.org

learn More 5 AWEA Regional Wind Energy Summit – Southwest www.awea.org/events December 5 – 6, 2012 4 Houston, TX I www.AWEASouthwestMarkets.org

Offshore2012+FallEvents_AD_7x10.indd 1 6/6/12 12:10 PM FEATURES JULY 2012 ProfilE: Global Energy 28 Services By Sherri Mabry Strategically located in key renewable energy markets, GES delivers service expertise to customers with complex needs.

Managing the 30 Grid in Maui By Sherri Mabry With the increased need for clean energy on the islands of Hawaii, ramp rate control, and curtailment and capture mitigation become more important than ever.

Kiting for Wind Power 36 By Dr. Roland Schmehl To access wind at altitudes above 200 meters, the Kite Power Research Group at Delft University in The Netherlands is capturing wind energy with (AWE), or computer-controlled kites.

All Wires and Cables 44 Are Not Created Equal By Sherri Mabry When comparing life cycle costs for wires and cables in wind systems, consider the specific applications, cost per failure and dielectric losses to determine a cable’s return on investment.

Individual Pitch Control 50 and Its Impact Dr. Sherif El-Henaoui Larger wind turbines with longer rotor blades and higher tower structures are creating technical challenges for turbine designers, but problems can be resolved with proper planning.

windsystemsmag.com 3 Detect and evaluate lightning strikes quickly

LM-S lightning monitoring system optimize preventative maintenance following any lightning strike, thanks to Phoenix Contact’s new LM-S lightning monitoring system. our LM-S detects and analyzes all the important parameters of lightning surge currents – allowing you to derive the actual system load. online alerts regarding lightning strikes can be sent to your maintenance engineer, prompting investigation and avoiding prolonged downtime and system damage. For exposed locations such as wind turbines, this information makes it easier for you to determine, from a distance, whether your system suffered any damage requiring maintenance. improve your reaction time. to learn more about our new LM-S lightning monitoring system, call 1-800-322-3225 or visit www.phoenixcontact.com.

© 2012 Phoenix ContaCt

WindPower_FullPage.indd 1 6/1/2012 11:03:42 AM DEPARTMENTS

VOLUME 3 NO. 07 NEWS Developments in technologies, manufacturing processes, 8 equipment design, wind-farm projects, and legislation of interest to all wind-industry professionals.

Construction Chris Martin—Crane Service, Inc. 23 Going green doesn’t necessarily mean that you must erect an 80, 90, or even a 100-meter tower. Micro wind nacelles have a major impact while being kind to the environment. Maintenance Merritt Brown—Rev1 Renewables 24 Despite sophisticated control systems on modern wind turbines, some critical subsystems remain in the capable hands of the wind technician to monitor their integrity and safe operation. Technology Matthew A. Lackner, Ph.D.—UMASS Wind Energy Center 26 Graphical Processing Units offer a promising solution for parallelizing computations of N-body problems and drastically accelerating computations. LOGISTICS Michael Graska—Professional Logistics Group 27 Logistics planning becomes more difficult with uncertainty about the future of wind energy tax credits.

Product Showcase News of products, equipment, and resources from across 56 the wind industry that will help propel your company toward success.

Q&A Wayne Kilcollins, Wind Power Technical Institute 64 Northern Maine Community College Resources MARKETPLACE 62 ADVERTISERINDEX 63

Wind Systems magazine, published by Media Solutions, Inc. Publications mail agreement no. 40624074 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: PO Box 503 | RPO West Beaver Creek | Richmond Hill, ON L4B 4R6

Cover Photo: Dow Electrical & Telecommunications windsystemsmag.com 5 EDLETTER

The U.S. wind energy market will survive regardless of whether Congress extends the Production Tax Credit (PTC), but don’t expect weak suppliers to remain in business. Vic Abate, vice president of General Electric (GE), told report- David C. Cooper ers at Windpower 2012 that uncompetitive vendors who provide Publisher gearboxes, towers and blades for the wind industry will be culled Chad Morrison from GE’s supplier list. As the largest market shareholder with Associate Publisher 29.4 percent in wind energy, GE’s belt tightening will help shape EDITORIAL the future of the industry. Sherri Mabry GE is not alone in thinking that the shakedown will result in Managing Editor fat trimming. The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) says an estimated 10,000 workers will lose their jobs in anticipa- Sales tion of fewer orders from manufacturers if the PTC is not ex- Glenn Raglin tended, and an additional 37,000 employees will be axed next National Sales Manager year if the incentives are not available to owners. Mike Barker Regional Sales Manager Among the other major industry players in Atlanta, execu- Tom McNulty tives with Gamesa, Mitsubishi, Siemens, , , Regional Sales Manager and said beyond this year the U.S. wind energy market would decline 80 percent, but the U.S. will still install nine to 12 Circulation GW of wind installations in the rush to finish projects before the Teresa Cooper Manager credit incentives expire. Goldwind CEO Tim Rosenzweig said his company will expand Kassie Hughey in the U.S. in the coming years, and Suzlon’s interim CEO, Dun- Coordinator can Koerbel, says Suzlon is “in this for the longest of long hauls.” Jamie Willett The executives agree that a one-year extension will probably Assistant happen following the November presidential elections, but one- ART year extensions are not helpful for wind energy growth because Jeremy Allen developers do not have confidence in long-term stability. Creative Director With wind projects taking 18 months to two years to com- Michele Hall plete, a better solution would be a two-year PTC extension and Graphic Designer a policy that allows for long range planning by developers and Contributing writers manufacturers. A three to five year buffer would be enough to Michael Graska create a stable platform for the U.S. wind industry, according to Merritt Brown these industry experts. Chris Martin Matthew Lackner Harm Toren, vice president and chief service officer for Mit- Dr. Roland Schmehl subishi Power Systems said 90 percent of his company’s wind By Dr. VeSherifrtical L ogoEl-Henaoui Horizontal Logo turbines are installed in the U.S., but uncertainty with U.S. pol- icy and regulations is a concern in terms of research and sales goals. Toren suggests manufacturers maintain the turbines they have and wait for the market to stabilize. Regardless of whether tax credits will be available at the end of this year, it appears that the top manufacturers are commit- ted to remaining in wind power and the U.S. even if Congress Published by Media Solutions, Inc. Coop wants to use this one for the website abandons us. P. O. Box 1987 • Pelham, AL 35124 (800) 366-2185 • (205) 380-1580 fax

David C. Cooper President Chad Morrison Vice President Teresa Cooper Operations Sherri Mabry, managing editor

Wind Systems magazine No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in [email protected] any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage-and-retrieval (800) 366-2185 system without permission in writing from the publisher. The views expressed by those not on the staff of Wind Systems magazine, or who are not specifically employed by Media Solutions, Inc., are purely their own. All "News" material has either been submitted by the subject company or pulled directly from their corporate web site, which is assumed to be cleared for release. Comments and submissions are welcome, and can be submitted to [email protected]. 6 JULY | 2012 MAXWELL ULTRACAPACITORS. BREAKTHROUGH TECHNOLOGY THAT POWERS BREAKOUT DESIGN.

1 color

2 color MAXWELL’S ULTRACOMPACT AND DELIVERY DEVICES represent cost-efficient and reliable products that enable blade pitch control to transcend the risks and limitations of batteries. Ideal for the harshest environments, 4 color our wind-system ultracapacitors range from 350 Farad cells to 3000 Farad cells, and integrated power packs from 16V to 75V (higher voltages with series connection) for multi-megawatt class turbines. Ready to innovate? Breakout. With Maxwell.

Reverse maxwell.com

Maxwell_Wind_Ad_WindsystmPub.indd 1 1/12/12 1:42 PM NEWS

SIX ATTENDEES AT WINDPOWER 2012 WIN with the turnout each day at our booth generated SAFETY HARNESSES AND TOOLBOXES by these prizes donated for the giveaway.” Wind Systems partnered with Capital Safety and Winner of the first day’s drawing for the harness Snap-On Tools to raffle Snap-On toolboxes and was Michael Burns of Burns Brothers Performance. ExoFit NEX Global Wind Energy Harnesses at the Patrick Laird of Laramie County Community AWEA Windpower 2012 show in Atlanta, GA. College won the harness the second day, while Raffle tickets were provided each day of the Telicia Craft of MH&W International took home event to those visiting the Wind Systems booth the toolbox. where they received free subscriptions to the Third day winners included Nick Bach, a student magazine and information about other exhibitors who won the harness, and Dan Hadfield with Gard at the show held at the Georgia World Congress Specialists winning the toolbox. Center. Winners of the ExoFit Global Energy Safety “We had a great time at Windpower 2012 and Harnesses provided their measurements to Capital we’d like to congratulate AWEA for all their hard Safety so that their harnesses were custom-fit for work,” said David C. Cooper, president and CEO their use. of MSI, and publisher of Wind Systems and Gear The toolboxes and harnesses were shipped to the Solutions magazines. “We had a great turnout each winners following the show. day of the show and we were extremely pleased AWEA Windpower 2012 was the first major wind

Companies wishing to submit materials for inclusion in this section should contact Sherri Mabry at [email protected]. Releases accompanied by color images will be given first consideration.

8 JULY | 2012 Experience the Power of Dow Inside

WHEN IT’S YOUR JOB TO CAPTURE THE POWER OF THE WIND.

Specifying cables that won’t fail when the wind is blowing. That’s your job. All cable compounds are not created equal. When you choose cables made with the power of DOW INSIDE, you will get reliable cable performance you can count on for the lifetime of your development. The DOW ENDURANCE™ family of products from Dow Electrical & Telecommunications for MV, HV and EHV under- ground or submarine cables delivers that peace of mind for a lower cost over the total lifetime of your system. For reliable power transmission and distribution from turbine to grid, there’s only one choice. The power of DOW INSIDE. That’s the confidence you need when it’s your job to keep the power on.

www.dowinside.com

®™Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company Dow Electrical & Telecommunications is a global business unit of The Dow Chemical Companympany and its subsidiaries.

HM675e&t_windygirl_windsys.indd 1 3/8/12 7:12:20 AM energy conference and exhibition to Windpower, and we are excited that DETECT COMPLETES MERLIN take place in the Southeast, attracting AWEA chose Atlanta as the host AVIAN RADAR SYSTEM thousands of corporate leaders city this year,” said Metro Atlanta INSTALLATION AT THE and wind power professionals with Chamber Vice President, Supply C-POWER OFFSHORE WIND concurrent educational sessions, Chain & Advanced Manufacturing FARM IN BELGIUM committee meetings, and more Development Bob Pertierra. “Wind The MERLIN Avian Radar than 900 exhibitors representing 60 energy, renewable energy and System was purchased by the countries. clean technology represent one of Management Unit of North Sea “With more than 90 wind-related the fastest-growing segments for Mathematical Models (MUMM), manufacturing facilities located in economic growth in the world.” a division of the Royal Belgian the Southeast – 20 of which are To sign up for a free subscription Institute of Natural Sciences in Georgia – and the proximity to to Wind Systems visit www. (RBINS), and was delivered to Hartsfield-Jackson International, windsystemsmag.com. For a free Belgium in January 2011 to collect the world’s busiest airport, subscription to Gear Solutions, go data on bird activity along the Atlanta was a natural fit to host to www.gearsolutions.com. coast at Zebrugge. MUMM studies

10 JULY | 2012 the effects of offshore wind system is capable of producing 10,000-12,000 kWh of energy a year when parks on all forms of sea life operating at average annual wind speeds of 5 m/s, which is enough to but of particular concern here power an average-sized house for a year. were Terns nesting on the Baker Renewable Energy installed the turbine on JMU’s East Campus, mainland and flying out to the adjacent to the CISAT library. It, along with a small solar array, will shoals to feed. In March 2012 provide clean power to the new building, while wind instruments on the DeTect radar technicians tower will measure wind flow to provide VCWE with data on area wind transferred the MERLIN radar patterns. The turbine has a total rotor diameter of 23 feet, which when system from its mobile trailer added to the 120-foot-tall, Rohn self-supporting lattice tower, places the to the C-Power platform. total height of the system at 131.5 feet. “This is a very important and exciting project for DeTect” said Edward Zakrajsek, Manager of DeTect EU in London. “DeTect technicians, headed by our Project Manager Andreas Smith, had to work quickly and accurately to reassemble the system onto the platform hours before it was transferred to a barge and towed out to sea.” The wind park comprises 56 5-6 megawatt (MW) turbines that stand at 158 meters above sea level with rotor swept diameters of 63 to 64 meters. “These are some of the largest wind turbines in the world,” continued Mr. Zakrajsek, “and DeTect’s MERLIN avian radar technology is a key component for ensuring generation of environmentally-sound, clean, renewable energy.” For more information, visit www.detect-inc.com or call 850-763-7200. BAKER RENEWABLE ENERGY INSTALLS WIND ENERGY SYSTEM AT JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY Baker Renewable Energy announced today it has installed a wind energy system at James Madison University featuring a 7.5-kilowatt Bergey wind turbine. Baker Renewable Energy installed the turbine as part of the Small Wind Training and Testing Facility, an educational initiative launched by the Virginia Center for Wind Energy (VCWE). The wind

windsystemsmag.com 11 “We are excited to have been projects in Virginia, North Carolina 3G, unites the best interest of involved in this project, especially and South Carolina. The company utilities with those of consumers, since it benefits the greater installed a wind turbine for the empowering them to monitor and community in so many ways,” North Carolina Solar Center, for reduce energy consumption, and said Jason Epstein, executive vice the utility Santee Cooper in South save money and the environment president of Baker Renewable Carolina and for the Wind for at the same time. The partnership Energy. “In addition to providing Schools program in Virginia, which enables the Consert Solution to continuous, clean energy and assists in providing wind turbines operate over the Verizon Wireless reducing utility costs, the and curricula to schools across the 3G network. By using Novatel turbine will also offer a hands- country through a Department of Wireless’ 3G Expedite E396 PCI on educational opportunity for Energy and National Renewable Express Mini Card for home students who are interested Energy Labs (NREL) platform. BRE energy management, the network in the renewable energy field, has also worked with other schools can offer services in real-time, as further supporting the industry in such as New River Community opposed to once every 15 minutes Virginia.” College to install smaller wind or once an hour or once every 24 This initiative will allow VCWE systems. hours, which is common for other to provide educational outreach to For more information, visit utility smart grid networks. JMU students, area entrepreneurs www.windpowerVA.org or www. With consumers setting, and local K-12 schools. JMU bakerrenewable.com. monitoring and reducing energy professors will be able to use the consumption from any Internet- facility as a teaching tool geared CONSERT INC., AND NOVATEL enabled device, utility companies toward student entrepreneurs WIRELESS WIN 2012 CTIA have the opportunity to gain who may be interested in wind E-TECH AWARDS operational savings, address peak power-oriented business. Such a Consert Inc., and Novatel load with measurable and verifiable curriculum, and the advancement Wireless, Inc., are the winners certainty, and realize new revenue of the wind industry, will help in the Green Telecom and Smart streams. diversify the state’s energy Energy Solutions category of the “Having our industry leading resources. 2012 International CTIA Wireless embedded modules recognized “Our goal is to cultivate a Emerging Technology (E-Tech) in our partners’ solutions in the community that is educated in awards program. 2012 International CTIA Wireless wind energy; therefore, we need to The CTIA E-Tech Awards E-Tech awards program shows inform decision-makers, members honors the most innovative the importance of delivering of the public and local students new products in 15 categories modules that can be integrated about wind power development spanning the areas of mobile apps, with extreme flexibility and initiatives in Virginia,” said Dr. consumer electronics, enterprise superior performance for mobile Jonathan Miles, professor in the and infrastructure. Hundreds of data applications,” said Rob Hadley, College of Integrated Science and entries were judged by a panel of CMO, Novatel Wireless. “We had Technology, coordinator of the recognized industry experts, media multiple award recognitions this International Masters Program and analysts and were scored year that highlight the ongoing and director of the Virginia Center on innovation, functionality, commitment of Novatel Wireless for Wind Energy at JMU. “We technological importance, to deliver the most innovative are grateful to Baker Renewable implementation and overall “wow” mobile broadband solutions and Energy for supporting our efforts factor. are very pleased to be recognized to bring economic development, “This is a tremendous honor for with Concert for this solution for high environmental quality and Consort and only further highlights the Smart Energy segment. reliable and affordable energy our successful partnership with For more information, visit to the Commonwealth.” “The Novatel Wireless,” said Jeff Ebihara, www.consert.com or www. wind industry continues to gain Consert vice president of sales novatelwireless.com and www. visibility and traction across the and marketing. “To be nationally CTIA.org. Southeast and we are glad to recognized by the wireless industry support its development,” added for our leadership in the smart AMSC RECEIVES 100 MW John Matthews, president of Baker energy solution space speaks WIND TURBINE ELECTRICAL Renewable Energy. “The turbine volumes about our impact on the CONTROL SYSTEM ORDER provides a valuable training tool industry.” FROM INOX WIND that will help to develop the The Consert Virtual Peak AMSC, a global solutions provider Virginia workforce.” Plant™ (VPP) Solution, utilizing serving wind and grid leaders, Baker Renewable Energy has the Novatel Wireless Expedite® announces that Inox Wind completed a number of other wind E396 PCI Express Mini Card for Limited, part of India’s Inox Group

12 JULY | 2012 of Companies, placed a follow- world, India is supporting renewables in a significant way. In fact, on order for 50 of AMSC’s the country recently introduced generation-based incentives for wind electrical control systems power, which incentivize project developers to select turbines that lower (ECS) for Inox’s 2 megawatt their leveled cost of energy and maximize their power output,” said (MW) wind turbines. AMSC Daniel P. McGahn, President and CEO, AMSC. “This policy is sure to expects to ship all of these benefit a fully integrated player like Inox, who is committed to providing systems to Inox in 2012. Th is high-quality, competitively priced wind turbines with exceptional is the fourth volume order that performance and reliability.” AMSC has received from Inox For more information, visit www.amsc.com. in the past two years. “Inox is producing some of the best performing and most attractive wind turbines for the Indian market, which When Every Lift Counts, have been designed with consideration for Indian site Count on Delta. conditions and low cost of operation and maintenance,” When your people, your project, and said Devansh Jain, director of your reputation are on the line, you Inox Wind Limited. “We were among the fi rst manufacturers can’t afford lifting and rigging to begin producing 2 MW equipment that doesn’t measure up. turbines locally in volumes Delta is the name you can trust. and have quickly established a leadership position in Every lift. Every time. the market. Th is position is strengthened by our vertical approach, which includes best- • Safety in-class manufacturing as well as project development. We • Service look forward to continuing our growth with AMSC at our • Quality side.” • Value AMSC’s ECS are an integrated, high-performance suite of power electronics systems that include the wind turbine power converter cabinet, internal power supply and various controls. Together, these systems serve as the “brains” of the wind turbine and enable reliable, high-performance operation by controlling power fl ows, regulating voltage, monitoring system performance, controlling the pitch of wind turbine blades and the yaw • Sales of the turbines to maximize • Rental effi ciency. Th e ECS are being utilized • Service in Inox’s 2 MW doubly-fed induction turbines, which were Angleton, TX • Baton Rouge, LA • Grand Junction, CO • Houma, LA designed by and licensed from Hurst, TX • Lafayette (Broussard), LA • Odessa, TX • Pasadena, TX AMSC in 2009. Pearland, TX • Sulphur, LA • Victoria, TX • Williston, ND “Already the third largest wind power market in the www.deltarigging.com 1-877-408-8008

windsystemsmag.com 13

WindSystemsAd.indd 1 6/11/2012 10:30:04 AM STREAMLINING WIND PERMITTING IN MAINE New legislation creates further streamlining for wind project permitting in Maine. Governor Paul LePage signed legislation LD 1798 to revamp the Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC). The reforms within the legislation include moving all permitting review for grid scale wind projects in the Unorganized Territories to the jurisdiction of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (MeDEP). Previously, LURC or MeDEP depending on the location of the project would conduct review of wind permitting. Occasionally this could cause difficulties when projects overlapped jurisdiction boundaries. With the recent improvements wind project permitting will have a standard procedure and review process throughout the state. The improvements signal the Legislature’s ongoing support for wind development, and their desire to continue to provide all applicants with certainty and predictability for the entire state. The wind permitting streamline process began in 2008 with LD 2283, passed by the 123rd Legislature and signed by former-Governor John Baldacci. For more information, visit www.mainewindindustry.com. MOVENTAS WINS CONTRACT TO SUPPLY NEW 5MW OFFSHORE WIND GEARS TO AREVA Moventas continues to strengthen its offshore capability with its 5MW medium speed wind gear. In the beginning of May, Moventas delivered two 5MW offshore wind gears to AREVA Wind. The two companies have signed an 80 million euro agreement on future deliveries. After approximately one year of testing, Moventas and AREVA Wind, subsidiary of the multi-

14 JULY | 2012 Let’s Socialize

Receive periodic promotions and news of LIKE, FOLLOW OR JOIN Webinars, training ses- sions, and other upcoming professional development OUR COMMUNITY events.

Connect with Wind Systems magazine through

social media, using your computer or smartphone View featured articles from the magazine for a quick and easy way to stay informed and up chosen especially by the staff, and support the community of wind to date with the latest in the wind industry. professionals.

Follow Media Solutions, Inc.—publisher of Wind Systems and Gear Solu- tions magazines—and network with members of the staff. national energy industry group AREVA, will be ready for series Moog has supplied more deliveries. Moventas and AREVA Wind have signed an agreement worth than 27,000 systems and 80 million euros concerning 5MW gear unit deliveries for the coming products to many of the years. world’s top-ten wind turbine “We are very pleased to find that AREVA Wind trusts our leading manufacturers. The company’s expertise and over 30-year history in creating technically superior gear wind industry products and solutions for medium-speed and multi-megawatt class drive trains”, expertise span both electric comments Senior Vice President of Wind Gears with Moventas, Arto and hydraulic technologies. Lahtela. Moog’s wind industry The new offshore gear will strengthen the Moventas product range, experts will explain how especially for the European markets, where the demand for offshore using the company’s systems wind turbines is showing promising signs of growth. Challenging on today’s wind turbines can offshore conditions set extremely high requirements for both product reduce maintenance, improve design and manufacturing technologies. Moventas provides AREVA safety and boost efficiency. Wind’s international offshore wind expansion with a reliable medium For example, by precisely speed offshore wind gear. monitoring wind loads on With a rated power of 5 MW, AREVA’s M5000 wind turbine with blades, the rotor monitoring its innovative medium-speed concept has now three years operational system improves the turbine’s experience in the German North Sea, and the group is now moving into life span and maintenance serial production with its confirmed backlog of 120 machines. Beyond costs. Predictive maintenance this AREVA is aiming at strong international expansion, with a focus on is vital to wind park operators the European markets, and in particular United Kingdom and France. because the cost of a shutdown Mikael Laine President & CEO Moventas companies. For more and subsequent turbine repairs information, visit www.moventas.com. is high. Moog Pitch Systems also MOOG PITCH CONTROL AND BLADE SENSING SYSTEMS improve safety when the wind HIGHLIGHT RELIABILITY turbine loses electrical power. Moog Industrial Group introduces its electric pitch control systems for The pitch system puts the controlling the angle of inclination of a wind turbine’s blades. Moog’s turbine blades off-wind into array of hardware, software and services also includes blade-sensing a safe operating mode that systems, rotor monitoring systems, slip rings and global training and protects the wind turbine from services. damage. When the wind blows at 25 meters per second (50 mph) or higher, a wind turbine needs a failsafe to put its blades at an angle where the load is reduced and the wind turbine stops. Found in the hub of the wind turbine, the Moog Pitch System consists of: control boxes containing Moog Pitch Servo Drives; Wind Pitch Servo Motors; and, a control system including software for remote diagnostics and back-up power. Moog also offers slip ring solutions, which are critical to operation. Found inside the wind turbine’s , Moog’s slip rings provide electrical signals and energy for blade pitch power and control. Moog’s fiber brush slip rings offer wind turbine owners a minimum of 100 million revolutions of operational life with no maintenance.

16 JULY | 2012 Moog signed a contract to supply over the last fi ve years, serving the system to control the NAREC a test system to NAREC (National global supply chain and industrial Control Resonance Mass (CRM), Renewable Energy Centre) to research communities. which excites natural frequencies evaluate and test wind turbine Stuart Bibb, Market Manager, in the blade structure to evaluate blades at NAREC’s new 100-m Moog Test Systems said, “Our the blades’ resistance to fatigue (328-ft.) blade testing facility in division within Moog specializes under representative dynamic Blyth, Northumberland, United in structural testing for the loading conditions. Th e scope of Kingdom. aerospace industry. Using computer- supply will also include a very high Opening this summer, turbine controlled hydraulic technology, we fl ow PLC controlled Hydraulic blade manufacturers will use are able to simulate service loads to Power Unit designed to interface NAREC to test prototype blade ascertain structural strength prior with the NAREC primary control designs and manufacturing to initial fl ight-testing. We were system. processes. Th e new facility will able to apply the same experience, Th e power unit, comprising six accommodate blades being technology and skills to NAREC’s Moog RKP Radial Piston Pumps, designed for larger off shore wind requirements to deliver the right has an installed power of 675 kW, turbines up to 100 m (328 ft.) solution.” delivering a fl ow of 1,200 lpm in length and will complement Dean Goodwin, Mechanical Lead (317 gpm US) at a pressure of NAREC’s existing capability testing Engineer, at NAREC said, “NAREC 280 bar (4061 psi). A dedicated blades in the 50-m (164 ft.) range. undertakes fatigue testing of wind PLC controls and monitors the Th e new 100-m (328 ft.) blade test turbine blades using a hydraulic performance and health of the facility will provide an independent system to resonate the blade at its unit and a water-cooling system and confi dential environment to natural frequency. Moog’s track maintains the temperature of the accelerate the development of record in the aerospace industry hydraulic fl uid. High pressure new blade designs before they are provided us with the confi dence in hydraulic fluid is circulated taken off shore. It will be the largest their solution for our new world- around the facility by a custom facility of its type in the world leading facility.” designed distribution network. and expands on NAREC’s existing Moog will supply and commission For more information, visit www. blade-testing capability developed a Test Controller and monitoring moog.com.

Made in the USA

We are Serious… • Greater Workpiece Accessibility Magnets • Failsafe Switching About Magnets… • Customized to your Application • Better Accuracy Alpha Workholding is the premier • Failsafe Switching manufacturer—made in the USA— of permanent electromagnetic and material handling products.

Our company’s dedication and expertise in developing material handling solutions provides efficient and competitive new standard products that benefit simple everyday applications. 704.871.2183 127 Advantage Place • Statesville, NC 28677 F: 704.872.5777 • www.alphaworkholding.com

windsystemsmag.com 17 MEDIACO MAXLIFT RAISES TOWER AT FRENCH PORT Crane service provider Mediaco Maxilift recently lifted the tower of a dockside crane from its base at a French port to make it possible to perform necessary maintenance work. In order to safely lift the 414-tonne (456 US tons) load and then place it back on its base, the company relied on the powerful performance of a TerexTM CC 2800 lattice boom crawler crane. The two lifts brought several challenges for the Mediaco team from the start: On the one hand, the wharf’s structure was not designed to bear the joint weight of the CC 2800 and its load. “In order not to damage the structure, we placed steel beams under the CC 2800’s crawler tracks in order to better distribute the weight,” explains Mediaco Maxilift project manager Robert Titart. On the other hand, the load’s center of gravity proved to be an obstacle in performing the lift safely. In remarkable level of versatility. tested control system, featuring order to solve this problem, a For instance, it can be converted remote radio control capabilities, custom-made spreader was used from a standard crane to a makes it possible to operate the to balance the load with the special-purpose crane for wind Terex TM CC2800 easily, safely, and required precision. However, the turbine projects — and back. comfortably no matter what the spreader added 11.5 tons (12.6 This includes a rigid luffing fly operating conditions. US tons) to the load being lifted, jib (LF2) with a length of 12, 24, For more information, please increasing the total weight to 433 or 36 meters that was developed visit www.mediaco-group.com or tons (477 US tons) together with specifically with wind power- www.terex.com. the 4.5-tonne (4.9 US tons) hook related applications in mind. The block and the 3-tonne (3.3 US crane’s rated lifting capacity is REDSTONE COLLEGE tons) rigging cables and chains. 600 tons with a reach of seven PREPARES ITS WIND ENERGY The Mediaco team set meters, while its maximum load TECHNOLOGY GRADUATES up the CC 2800 with an SSL moment is 7,056 mt. FOR WORKFORCE configuration, a 54-meter The undercarriage is available Redstone College, a Denver-based main boom, a superstructure in two different models: the institution of higher learning, counterweight of 160 tons standard version and with a celebrated the commencement of (176 US tons), and a Superlift chassis designed for road travel. its fourth graduating class from counterweight of 300 tons (330 The basic machine, including all its Wind Energy Technology US tons), and decided to use a winches and the A-frame, can be Program on May 21, bringing Superlift radius of 15 meters (49 transported within a 12-ton axle the total number of graduates ft.). With this configuration, the load limit. since the program launched in CC 2800 was perfectly prepared The high level of flexibility August 2010 to 106. According to safely lift the load and put provided by these options and to the American Wind Energy it back down later within the features saves time and money Association (AWEA), Colorado is required working radius of 16 during transportation, setup, and one of the top 10 states for wind meters (52 ft). disassembly, providing for a high energy jobs, and receives 9.2% of The Terex® CC 2800 is a lattice level of cost-effectiveness in the its electricity from wind power. boom crawler crane with a process. Moreover, the time- “Wind energy is a relatively new

18 JULY | 2012 industry for America, and yet, it math and physics. Safety training leading organizations including has had significant growth both in is also a critical component of the RES America, SOS Staffing/Vestas, the U.S. and Colorado, especially program; students receive training Ethos Distributed Energy, enXco, in the last five years,” said Tim in first aid, fire suppression, and Siemens and SkyClimber. For all Guerrero, campus academic dean climb safety and current OSHA programs offered at Redstone of Redstone College. “When we safety standards. The program College, 80 percent of its eligible launched our program, we made has grown substantially since it graduates have been placed in jobs a commitment to provide our launched and currently has eight in their fields of study. students with a curriculum that faculty and two lab technicians. For more information, visit focused on hands-on learning to Four classes have graduated since www.redstone.edu. ensure they were workforce ready. October 2011, and program We went to Denmark to find a enrollments are accepted every LATEST TESTS CONFIRM used Vestas V27 to place in our two months. INCREASED ENERGY wind lab, which teaches everything “When you work with high GENERATION OF EVANCE from testing equipment, such voltage and high power, students as a lab volt industrial trainer must learn they can’t rush it and During the last few months the and a hydraulic station, to that troubleshooting systems Evance R9000 small wind turbine troubleshooting for the processes requires critical thinking,” has undergone further tests of installation, testing and repair said Warren Schmelzer, wind which have confirmed its energy of wind turbines. When our energy technology instructor of generation has increased by over graduates complete the program, Redstone College. “Our faculty 4% to 9,167kWh at a wind speed they are immediately ready to doesn’t teach the technology of of 5 meters per second. productively manage wind turbine a specific turbine, but rather we The R9000 small wind turbine electronic components.” teach our students to ‘read’ and to was one of the first small wind Redstone’s 15-month associate understand the fundamentals of turbines to achieve SWCC program teaches both mechanical concepts such as wind mechanics conditional certification last and electrical applications for the and math, among others.” year, and has received further wind energy industry, including Wind Energy Technology improvements since. the fundamentals of mechanics, graduates have received jobs at Many Evance customers have

THE STANDARD BY WHICH ALL OTHERS ARE MEASURED

Highline Products is a full line • Delivered completly assembled, ready to use manufacturer of fiberglass and • Lightweight, easy to handle • Lower installed cost, no forms to build, polymer concrete products used pour and break apart in wind farm collection systems. • Quick delivery

Please visit us at highlineproducts.com or call us at (781) 328-3220

windsystemsmag.com 19 already benefitted from higher than 76 TEREX TOWER CRANES the local crane Market”, adds expected energy generation as the DELIVERED TO VENEZUELA Ivens. For more information, R9000 system improvements were Terex TM Cranes announces that it visit www.terex.com. implemented several months ago. For has received an order for 76 flat example, Clive Breeze was pleasantly top tower cranes for PDVSA – PSI REPAIRSERVICES surprised with the energy generated Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. The INTRODUCES from his recent installation: “In the State owned company will utilize OFF-WARRANTY REPAIR first three weeks alone, the R9000 most of the cranes for a housing SUPPORT turbines exceeded the predicted project that involves building PSI Repair Services, Inc., energy generation targets by 10 50,000 residencies per year. Of introduces its off-warranty percent.” This reduced the customer’s the 76 cranes, 38 are CTT 161A- repair support for wind energy first quarterly electricity bill by the 6TS and 38 are CTT 91-5 TS12, operations and maintenance equivalent of nearly $500. all of them manufactured in the (O&M) professionals. “We’re delighted that our R9000 city of Fontanafredda, Italy. The PSI Repair Services offers fast, turbine is proving so efficient in cranes will be delivered through affordable repairs, including energy production as this translates 2012. upgraded/longer-life products, directly into a faster return on This is among the biggest order for out-of-warranty electronic, investment for our customers,” said of cranes for Latin America. hydraulic and precision Kevin Parslow, CEO of Evance Wind “This order proves our brand mechanical components that Turbines. strength and our commitment drive your turbines’ pitch and “Our R9000 machine accounted with Latin America”, says Ivens yaw systems and down tower for a third of all small wind Encarnação, General Manager, electronics. Components repaired turbines sold in the UK last year Terex TM Cranes Latin America. include printed circuit boards, – making it the UK’s small wind Terex TM has a complete product PLCs, control cards, VRCC turbine of choice. We look forward offering for the construction components, IGBTs, thyristors, to accelerating our drive into the and infrastructure industry, and converters, pitch motors, hydraulic North American market though superior after sales services and pumps, servo motors, transducers our network of installers in a support for its customers. “The and much more. All repairs come bid to establish a similar market order with PDVSA positions us with a free evaluation and one- leadership position,” concludes at a new league in Latin America, year warranty. Kevin.For more information, visit and increases significantly the PSI uses the latest diagnostic www.evancewind.com. presence of TerexTM Cranes in tools to detect failures down to the

20 JULY | 2012 microchip level. Solutions range specific expertise in LEAN Lee said. “I am so excited from minor component changes manufacturing. that this big idea is finally to full replacement printed circuit Israel holds a Bachelor of being launched.” He has been boards, with enhanced designs Science in chemical engineering working on development of the to improve performance and and an MBA, as well as a Health 25-kilowatt wind turbine since reliability. These options allow and Safety Management certificate 2009. In the near future, the you to significantly increase mean from The University of Alabama. scaled-down turbines will be time between failures (MTBF) In a newly created position used for businesses, government and prevent costly downtime of Account Manager/Sales, Ken buildings, schools, and countless and/or repeat repairs. McGraw will be responsible for other places to reduce costs and In addition, PSI provides supporting the company’s business provide a cleaner form of energy. comprehensive remanufacturing growth in North America. His “This company has a great services for unsalvageable, prior experience includes ten years future. We want to support local obsolete components. Plus, in industrial sales and customer start-ups like Genesis because PSI’s stocking programs provide service, including his most recent new local companies mean new fast turnaround to help reduce post as District Sales Manager for jobs in Oregon. Our crews are inventories. Dallas and East Texas at Klein well suited for this effort and can “PSI Repair Services is a one- Tools. He has a BS in Business efficiently pick up the turbine and stop resource for from LeTourneau four towers, move them to the O& M professionals,” said Mike University. site, and install them precisely Fitzpatrick, General Manager of Ken will be based at WES as specified,” said John McCalla, PSI Repair Services. “No other headquarters in Gainesville, TX, CEO and president of Omega repair service provider in the wind and can be contacted at kmcgraw@ Morgan. industry can match PSI’s breadth windenergyserviceusa.com. He said another Northwest and depth of cost- saving services, company, Axis Crane, also or has a dynamic Engineering OMEGA MORGAN PROVIDES volunteered its services to hoist Services Department quite like MOVING INSTALLATION the equipment onto two Omega PSI. The difference is clear for our SERVICES FOR PROTOTYPE Morgan trailers and to move them customers.” TURBINES into place for the installation. For more information, visit Omega Morgan, one of the West United Rentals, Northwest www.psi-repair.com. Coast’s leading heavy equipment Portland, donated free rental transport companies, offered free equipment for the project. ISRAEL BARAJAS AND KEN moving and installation services “This is the very first time in MCGRAW JOIN WIND ENERGY today for a prototype smaller, 10 years that I have received SERVICES lighter, gearless wind turbine and true, meaningful support for our Wind Energy Services Company four towers from the Portland project,” Lee said. “It means so (WES) announced that two area to the Port of Arlington, much to me that these two great new teammates have joined the Oregon. companies have stepped forward to company. Harry Lee, developer of the help and I am truly grateful.” Israel Barajas has been new product and Genesis Wind Omega Morgan provides services appointed HSE Manager Inc.’s CEO, said his turbine is a to companies and organizations with primary responsibility prototype for linear, reciprocating of all sizes by executing large for programs and practices direct-drive technology, a brand equipment moves, often in to maintain and enhance the new development in the world of complex environments; moving company’s industry-leading wind power. The gearless turbine and installation of semiconductor safety record. He brings more is valuable to future customers equipment for the high-tech than 20 years of experience in because turbine gears typically industry, commercial and export the composites industry. The last wear out quickly, causing great packing, crating and rigging. 14 years he has been employed expense and downtime problems, For more information call by various entities of the Lee noted. It also is 100 feet Omega Morgan in Portland at Molded Fiber Glass Companies, shorter than the average 300-foot- 503-647-7474 or 800-442-8141; including operations in Mexico, tall tower and will weigh 35,000 Seattle at 253-852-7500; Phoenix Alabama and South Dakota. pounds versus 85,000 pounds for at 602-789-4143 or visit www. In addition to experience in the typical wind turbine and tower. omegamorgan.com; or call Axis the Safety and Environmental The turbine, which is scalable Crane at 800-585-2947 or visit areas, his background includes to 1.5 megawatts of energy, is the www.axiscrane.com. For more quality, engineering, production, first to be installed by Genesis at information on Genesis Wind, materials, and scheduling and a pilot wind farm east of Portland. call 503-546-0464.

windsystemsmag.com 21 WOODLAND WORKWEAR AWARDED UTILITY Snaking the harness through 90 degree elbows, PATENT FOR KNEEDZ KNEEPAD and terminating individual conductors to terminal Woodland Workwear USA announces it has blocks in very tight clearance areas had previously received a utility patent and trademarke for its been very difficult, especially in cold weather. The KNEEDZ Gel kneepad technology. highly flexible TPC harness was much easier to install “This has been a long process but definitely at both the hub and the slipring end. Maintenance well worth the wait. We are very pleased with personnel were thrilled to have a robust, easy to the outcome and now we can continue to focus install solution to one of their primary failure areas. on promoting our KNEEDZ® Gel Kneepad work Material and labor cost savings alone totaled pants knowing that we have patent protection for $8,575 per turbine, according to the manufacturer, our intellectual property. Our founding partners but the increase in production hours of the tower invented a great product that continues to solve ranged from eight hours to multiple days, depending a serious safety problem in the workplace,” states on the availability of personnel to make the repair. Dale Pelletier, President & CEO of Woodland When multiplied across an entire wind farm, the Workwear. “In the spirit of innovation and immediate savings and increase in production is creativity, we celebrate our patent knowing that it important. will change the lives of workers for many years to For more information, visit www.tpcwire.com or come. We will continue on our quest to solve safety call 1-800-521-7935. problems in the workplace through innovation and technology.” COLLIER’S HYPERSIZER V6.2 IMPROVES The patent was issued under number 8,166,570 DESIGN AND MANUFACTURABILITY OF and protects Woodland’s invention of gel kneepads COMPOSITES AND METALS that are permanently built-in to work pants for a Collier Research Corporation today announced term of more than 20 years. the release of HyperSizer®v6.2 structural sizing and Fore more information, call 719-630-5153 or analysis software. The latest version of the product, visit www.kneedz.com. which is used widely in the spacecraft and aviation industries, includes new modeling capabilities for SLIPRING HARNESS FAILURE airframe wing box designs, and laminate zone and MODES AND SOLUTIONS ply-count optimization enhancements to improve Exposure to torsion, oil, abrasion, temperature manufacturing efficiency. extremes and human interference can cause New features and enhancements in HyperSizer downtime and loss of production. v6.2 include: Original equipment manufacturers are required to provide complete systems for industrial • Discrete Stiffener Modeling – For airframe wing box applications. Typically, the technical expertise and fuselage structures, the software automatically lies in the most critical aspect of the project. identifies in the FEM, skin shell and stiffener beam Subsequently, many ancillary components are elements and optimizes their spacings, heights, designed to the best of their abilility, but an fall and laminates. This provides the flexibility for short in the application due to a lack of knowledge designing panel bays with non-uniformly spaced and experience in all areas. One example of this is stiffeners of varying directions, dimensions, and the slipring harness, which controls the three-blade materials, while also assigning margins to each pitch motors. This harness is subject to constant unique stiffener panel segment. abuse in the form of torsion, oil exposure, abrasion • Laminate Optimization for Manufacturability –An and temperature extremes. When products like improved, six-step process optimizes laminates these fail, the wind farm experiences significant (transition zones, ply-count compatibility, ply downtime, loss of revenue, and maintenance drops/adds, global ply tracking) while balancing expense. strength, stability, and manufacturability. This TPC Wire and Cable Corp consulted a major leads to fabrication efficiencies and factory-floor wind farm owner to design and develop a custom cost-savings. slipring harness that addresses the multiple failure • Other enhancements – New puck composite failure modes encountered in the tower. The TPC harness analysis for both 2D and 3D fiber fracture; new was designed to be flexible at all temperatures, curved (skin) local buckling analysis; upgraded easy to install, and last for many years in the compression and shear post buckling analyses; abusive wind tower environment. Previously, the enhanced panel concepts (PRSEUS, reinforced core slipring harnesses needed to be replaced every 12 sandwich, and tapered tube beam); improved test months on average. The TPC slipring harnesses data and other graphical displays and functions; have been in continuous service for more than four and new methods documentation. For more years without a single failure. information, visit www.hypersizer.com.

22 JULY | 2012 Chris Martin Crane Service, Inc. Construction Going green doesn’t necessarily mean that you must erect an 80, 90, or even a 100-meter tower. Micro wind nacelles have a major impact while being kind to the environment.

Going green doesn’t just mean building away from completion, but at the time of this writing, the highest and biggest mW hour nacelle. There are was bustling with many types of construction crews. many other facets to the wind industry that in some Even with these challenges we were able to finish the circles go unnoticed. It is easy to give attention to the project on time. projects that involve the biggest economical impact, The 2,300 lb. nacelle did not require a mammoth but sometimes the smaller projects tend to be more 16,000 or even a 2250 to erect. What we used, was a interesting. If we take a journey to El Paso there is a pair of mid-20-ton boom trucks; one to hoist a man 73-unit apartment facility that will require no fossil basket and the other to hoist the actual nacelle. fuels to operate. It will be the first to rely solely on We were excited and proud to be a part of a project Mother Nature to power the facility. that is so small, but has such a large impact. What is Harnessing the power of the earth is becoming interesting about this industry is that the technology more and more popular on a consumer level. We are can be scalable to power cities and states to some- now seeing cars that have solar panels covering their thing as small as your house. It all started in New surfaces; an energy solution Hampshire 30 years ago with only available at a premium a site of 20 – 30kW nacelles. cost. This is true about the wind Now when you go to West industry, too. A renewable en- Texas it is hard to escape the ergy source that was only avail- fact that you are in turbine able to large energy companies country. The land is covered is now becoming an option for with 1.5 mW nacelles spinning everyone. almost by magic. Now we are After leaving AWEA we can seeing nacelles being utilized see that there are many manu- on a consumer basis in our facturers of nacelles that ca- own back yards; something I ter to the consumer level now, find truly remarkable. which is exactly what we have From a construction stand here. El Paso was recently ap- point we are at the forefront proved under Senate bill 1910 of technology, innovation, to allow for net metering to take and hard work. We have been place. Net metering is the ar- making our lifts look like mir- rangement to sell off any excess acles for over 52 years. This generated electricity to local isn’t something we fell into, power suppliers, in this case El though. We have been work- Paso Electric, for the same price ing 24/7 making this hap- as they purchase the power. pen, and instead of collect- This will allow the apartment complex to potentially ing awards, we have been collecting hours. We have profit from this venture over time. The estimated cost taken the time to learn the wind industry, not just for each unit expense-wise is around $8 per year. from the construction or maintenance side, but from The complex will be utilizing Xzeres wind nacelles all aspects. We have assembled a team that is truly and an unknown brand of solar panels to create elec- remarkable, and a majority them have double-digit tricity. The nacelles will feature 12-foot blades that are experience. It is easy enough to say we know wind, capable of producing 10kW hour at 12m/s and sit atop but we really do know wind. Day in day out we are on a 24-meter monopole tower. The lift was relatively the mesas erecting 2250, 8460’s, and our new 16,000; straightforward from a rigging and hoisting stand- a construction feat within itself. We know wind on point, but due to site challenges the project took two a large scale and on a small scale. Weirdly enough days to set both nacelles. The site challenges consisted sometimes it isn’t about being awarded the big main- of wind [which is normal large or small] and heavy tenance contract. Sometimes the smaller project is construction traffic. The site now is only a few weeks the one that is the most exciting.

Chris Martin is marketing coordinator at Crane Service, Inc. Learn more at www.craneserviceinc.com.

windsystemsmag.com 23 Merritt Brown Maintenance Rev1 Power Services, Inc. Despite sophisticated control systems on modern wind turbines, some critical subsystems remain in the capable hands of the wind technician to monitor their integrity and safe operation.

It was not so long ago that control systems hook and of the cable or chain for gross damage, kinks, utilized physical indicator lights and annunciators to or broken strands. Missing or damaged chain stops will provide a warning system of system faults on operat- fail to act as a manual brake should the chain be inad- ing equipment. Despite the advancement in technology vertently extended to its full length. Substantial force from these time-tested control panels to high-tech com- can be applied to the stop in the event that the chain is puter monitoring systems, somehow they still lack the fully run out and can easily be twice the Safe Working capability to remotely monitor some critical subsystems Load. If the stop is not present or is severely damaged, that are just as vital to turbine operation as the genera- the chain may run through with potentially disastrous tor itself. In these instances it’s left to the wind techni- consequences. In addition to pre-use inspections, the cian to confirm the integrity of subcomponents, to test safety features of the hoist should be tested at the manu- the lights as it were, and monitor the physical operating facturer’s interval or at least annually and recorded in condition of the turbine. Examples of these subcompo- accordance with B30.16. nents include the ladder safety system, the nacelle hoist, Descending a wind turbine in the dark can add a cable support systems, emergency lighting, and turbine whole new challenge to what is already a demanding weather protection. These all represent turbine subsys- task. Emergency lighting is installed for that one most tems that have no operational sensors, no functional inconvenient time when grid power is lost to the turbine alarm monitors, and can only be evaluated during an and a climb must be made safely back down to ground actual turbine visit. level. Again, being an unmonitored subsystem of the Ladder safety is inarguably the most important aspect turbine controls, the only way to know if the emergency of working on a wind turbine. Despite what should be lighting functions properly and will be there for them the most highly audited subsystem on the unit, ladder when needed is for the technician to conduct a frequent integrity issues can be commonplace. From loosened functional test. In addition to the periodic functional cable clips to damaged ladder rungs, all of these material test, an annual performance test should be conducted in issues can be resolved through a more comprehensive accordance with NFPA standards. and active maintenance plan. Because aluminum is a We have yet to see moisture gauges installed inside a malleable metal and is subject to dents and nicks, many wind turbine tower but maybe one day this might be a small dents or nicks on the beams and rungs are not un- standard feature. Given that most turbines are installed usual and are not grounds to fail a ladder. However, each in areas where seasonal weather can be somewhat unfor- rung should be capable of supporting a single concen- giving, protection from the elements has been passively trated load of at least 250 pounds applied in the middle designed into the turbine structure, yet management of of the rung. When a rung has been compromised due weather ingress is left to the wind technician to detect to a large dent or severe cable rub (that will likely mani- and mitigate. Opening the turbine door to standing wa- fest itself in the middle section of a rung), this should ter or a flooded basement should suggest a lack of proper be given proper consideration for replacement. With no sealing on the turbine, and it could be from an area not other indicator than a visual inspection during a climb, so desirable such as the skylight doors. While it may be the priority of this subsystem is obvious. marginal to describe weather proofing as a subsystem, The chain or cable hoist is another installed system the results of poor weatherproofing can have a signifi- that is not externally monitored and can often be inad- cant impact on turbine operation, particularly on elec- equately maintained. These systems serve to raise and trical components that are installed down tower. This is lower loads from the ground to the nacelle at weights one turbine function that certainly needs to be working. of up to a ton and at heights in excess of 325 feet. In Today’s wind turbine controls, though complex and what might be a lesser known ASME Standard B30.16 increasing in monitoring capability, lack in an all-inclu- for overhead hoists, the operator should be conducting sive understanding of turbine health. The wind techni- a pre-use assessment that includes inspection of the cian still has an important role to play in managing sub- hoist components as well as a test of its safety devices, system integrity issues that are not part of the turbine particularly the brake and overrun limit protection. The control scheme, particularly when it comes to monitor- inspection should also include examination of the cable ing safety systems and their proper operation.

Merritt Brown is vice president of Rev1 Renewables, an energy services company supporting wind, solar, and biomass clients worldwide. To learn more call (866) 738-1669 or go online to www.rev1renewables.com.

24 JULY | 2012

Matthew A. Lackner, Ph.D. Technology UMASS Wind Energy Center Graphical Processing Units offer a promising solution for parallelizing computations of N-body problems and drastically accelerating computations.

Unsteady aerodynamics caused by plat- buoy, tension leg platform, and barge – were con- form kinematics represents a significant increase in ducted and the complexity of the flow field was system complexity for offshore wind turbines. Off- highlight. shore floating wind turbines (OFWTs) present sig- However, one of the major challenges in this nificant advantages over conventional offshore fixed initial research was the computational cost of the foundation wind turbines, and can harness the vast FVM calculations using WInDS, which limited deep water wind resource while avoiding many of the feasible spatial and temporal discretization the public acceptance issues that have impeded near of the wake, and thus the accuracy of the solution shore development. OFWTs also pose significant and the ability to conduct a large number of simu- challenges that are not present for conventional off- lations. The main computational cost of the model shore technology, most critically the additional dy- lies in the solution of the N-body Biot-Savart Law, namic behavior of the floating platform. which is used to calculate the induced velocity at In a previous article in this space by Lackner all Lagrangian markers due to all the vortex fila- and Sebastian (a former PhD student at UMass), ments in the domain. The straightforward “brute- the additional complexity of the aerodynamics for force” solution of the N-Body problem can be OFWTs was highlighted. In particular, a variety prohibitively slow for large numbers of vortex fila- of analyses revealed that OFWTs have a greater ments, i.e. large values of N, as the solution time is fraction of unsteady flow energy due to platform proportional to N2. A typical wind turbine simula- kinematics than a comparable monopile system, tion of 60 seconds can have values of N of nearly momentum balance assumptions that underpin 100,000. To address this problem and accelerate all blade-element momentum and generalized dy- the computational speed of WInDS, Lackner and namic wake-based analysis break down more of- deVelder (a PhD student at UMass) have explored ten for OFWTs than for monopoles, and transition a parallel computing approach to the Biot-Savart states are more prevalent. Law. Specifically they investigated parallelism us- As a compromise between the computation- ing a low cost, off-the-shelf, Fermi based graph- al complexity of computational fluid dynamics ics processing unit (GPU) with both a “naive” and (CFD), and the limited applicability of Blade Ele- tiled shared-memory implementation of the Com- ment Momentum Theory (BEM) to complex flow- pute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA) kernel. fields, a potential flow method has been chosen The Biot-Savart Law was coded in CUDA and then by researchers at UMass Amherst to model the compiled as a “mex” function, which can be called aerodynamics of OFWTs. Time-marching free by Matlab, which is the language that WInDS is vortex wake methods (FVMs), a subset of potential written in. In this way, the simplicity of develop- flow, numerically advect the wake lattice, which ing the overall code in Matlab is maintained, while is composed of Lagrangian markers connected by the main computational cost of the code is solved vortex filaments. This approach has been used for outside of Matlab on the GPU. The results have a number of decades, in particular in rotorcraft been promising. Identical 30-second simulations aerodynamic analysis. Recognizing this, Sebastian were conducted, solved either with the standard and Lackner developed the Wake Induced Dynam- CPU approach or on the GPU. The GPU imple- ics Simulator (WInDS) code, a lifting-line theory mentation decreased the total computation time (LLT) based FVM developed for OFWTs and vali- by a factor of 25 times. These results open the door dated via comparison to analytical models and for more complex FVM calculations with WInDS experimental data. The results of the wake devel- with higher levels of discretization and the pos- opment of this model compare favorably to both sibility to conduct design optimization. Future the MEXICO experiment by the Energy research work will investigate even greater computational Centre of the Netherlands (ECN) and a two bladed gains using the Barnes and Hut tree-code (BHTC) experiment by the Delft University of Technology as a low-barrier-to-entry option for algorithmic (DUT). Comprehensive analyses of the aerody- improvement, taking the computational expense 2 namics of three floating platform models – a spar from O(N ) to O(NlogN).

Matthew A. Lackner, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of mechanical and industrial engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a member of its Wind Energy Center. He can be reached at (413) 545-4713 or [email protected]. Also visit www.umass.edu/windenergy.

26 JULY | 2012 Michael Graska Professional Logistics Group, Inc. LOGISTICS Logistics planning becomes more difficult with uncertainty about the future of wind energy tax credits.

Unlike previous years, AWEA Windpower right place at the right time is critical to their construc- 2012 held in Atlanta, had less than stellar attendance. tion schedule. They are dependent on the capability of Unfortunately, the attendance downturn will very the logistic sources chosen by the OEM or develop- likely parallel the downturn in wind turbine installa- er. For the general contractor, they are at the end of tions next year. The reasons are well known and in- a bullwhip, where as a slight movement at the handle clude the uncertainty of tax credits, tight credit and in this case either the OEM or developer, results in a general global economic forces. Everyone I talked to at big movement for them. Choices by the OEM or de- the show could not begin to predict wind’s immediate veloper will be greatly amplified as felt by the general future in the United States. This got me thinking about contactor. how this will affect logistics in the near future. Four major groups will have to deal with this down- turn, each being affected differently. The principle “The surviving companies groups are; OEM (original equipment manufacturers), Developers, General Contractors, and Transportation will be stronger, more Companies. OEMs are already cutting back on production re- innovative and competitive. sulting in layoffs and reduction of capacity. This is very apparent with second tier OEMs. So, even if all the un- And this is good news for derlying issues for the downturn are resolved, it will take quite a few months to ramp up and fill the pipe- OEMs, developers and line with products. Because of this, OEMs may very well buy from unaffected foreign sources. One caveat general contractors.” however, to this foreign sourcing could be import tar- iffs imposed by the US. In any case, all this uncertainty adds complexity, which makes logistics planning all Finally the changes for transportation companies that more difficult. will be large. Excess asset capacity will be mothballed OEM reaction to this uncertainly may go in a couple or sold. Experienced personnel will migrate to other of directions. Cutbacks may affect their logistics de- industries. An example of this would be heavy-haul partments, in which case they may have to rely more drivers driving other equipment in other industries. on third party logistics companies for planning and ex- Transportation companies will also shift resources to ecution. On the other hand especially the tier 1 manu- other industries for diversification. There will certain- facturers, work that was normally delegated to outside ly be winners and losers within the industry. With a sources may be pulled back because of excess capacity. continuing trend of less companies capable of moving This would be done to further gain control over costs wind components. This will happen through attrition and better manage execution. and consolidation. For developers, logistics costs become an even larg- But all of the above is not necessarily bad for the er cost consideration. With tight budgets, keeping lo- transportation industry. The surviving companies will gistics cost down becomes a major factor in choosing be stronger, more innovative and competitive. And who controls this item. The decision a developer has to this is good news for OEMs, developers and general make is whether to assume logistics control or delegate contractors. it to either the OEM or general contractor. There are Although the show was less than well attended, I can good arguments for all these approaches and it also de- attest to the strong belief in the wind industry by the pends on the proficiency of the developer to handle lo- participants and attendees. All were pragmatic about gistics. But an important consideration is as the OEM the near future, but all were optimistic about the over- cuts into its logistics capacity and knowledge, just how all wind industry, especially if and when the overall well will they be able to preform in the future and how issues are resolved. Everyone I spoke with is looking much is the developer willing to take this risk. forward to the show next year in Chicago, if for no Execution of a logistics plan has always been a focus other reason than to see if it is a wake or a rebirth. I am of the general contractor. Having the right part at the betting on the latter. Michael Graska is project leader with Professional Logistics Group. For more information go online to www.prologisticsgroup.com.

windsystemsmag.com 27 PROFILE Global Energy Services By Sherri Mabry

Strategically located in key renewable energy markets in the Americas, Europe, and North Africa, GES delivers service expertise to customers with complex needs.

28 JULY | 2012 In operation since 1996, Since its creation With 150 employees in the U.S., GES has ex- in 1982 as a provider of specialized technical panded its territory to California, Washington, services to the petrochemical sector in Spain, Texas, Arizona, Indiana, Iowa, South Dakota, Global Energy Services (GES) has become a New York, Ohio, Maine, Wyoming, Montana, world-class service group providing their ser- Delaware, West Virginia, Massachusetts and vice to wind, solar and conventional energy in- Pennsylvania. dustries. “Our key focus isn’t necessarily to be the “By the early 1990s when renewable energy largest services provider, but we want to be the was emerging in Europe as a main source of en- b e s t .” ergy, GES was perfectly positioned to provide In order to provide the best service, GES op- operations, maintenance and construction ser- erates facilities in different regions of the coun- vices to the market,” said John Plantier, business try. In the United States the company operates development director of GES. a warehouse and training center in Abilene, In 1992, Gamesa acquired the Spanish com- Texas, where technicians are required to com- pany to fill its need for a dedicated service pro- plete extensive in-house orientation courses on vider, and in 2006, the division was sold to 3i health and safety and basic turbine knowledge. and renamed Global Energy Services, an inde- “Our training regiment involves electrical, pendent entity specializing in engineering, con- mechanical, and hydraulic theory, along with struction, installation, commissioning and the technology specific questions. The class room operations and maintenance for wind and solar and online training coupled with the OJT helps farms. create an extremely talented group of techni- “Our first construction project was in Gra- cians,” Plantier said. ham, Texas, which consisted of 60 wind tur- On a global scale, GES has more than 4,000 bines, totaling 120 MW’s known as the Barton employees, performed Balance of Plant services Chapel Project. That project helped establish on more than 9 GW’s, installation services of our place in the US wind market and since then over 16 GW’s, and provides O&M services for we have provided services for over 4,100 MW’s over 12 GW’s. in the U.S.” “I think it’s often misunderstood as to how In 2008 when the wind construction mar- large we really are, but we operate in 20 differ- ket declined, GES-USA turned its focus to the ent countries, providing services for the largest operations and maintenance sector and solar turbine manufacturers and utilities in the mar- industry allowing the company to retain its ket place like Gamesa, Vestas, Gestamp, ENEL, talented construction group until the market EDP Renewables, Eon, Iberdrola, Siemens, Re- returned. “We are now at the top of the list for power, Clipper and others.” O&M service providers in the U.S. with over As GES continues to expand its client base, it 1,500 MW’s under contract. That is tremendous is currently building the Punta Lima Wind Farm growth in such a short term in a new market. for Gestamp Renewables. The wind project will We’ve installed over 30 MW’s since 2008 and be 23.4 MW at completion consisting of 13 Ves- our pipeline is extremely healthy.” he said. tas 1.8 MW wind turbine generators. The proj- Plantier says GES’ established reputation in ect involves constructing roads, WTG founda- Europe and U.S. coupled with a thriving cus- tions, crane pad and laydown areas adjacent to tomer base allows the company to enter into each turbine site and installation and testing of emerging renewable energy markets. This year 34.5kV collection and grounding systems in ad- GES will finalize construction of wind and so- dition to building the 34.5/115kV substations, lar projects Chile and Puerto Rico, and the Ca- the O&M building, and the 115kV transmission nadian market last year. In addition, GES was line. Work is expected to be complete in July. recently awarded the Istmeno Wind Project However, wind is not the only activity that in Mexico consisting of 215 MW’s, the largest GES is involved in Puerto Rico. In addition to wind project in Latin America. “We started the Punta Lima Wind Farm, GES is construct- work in Latin America, Puerto Rico, and Can- ing the Ilumina Project, the largest PV solar ada because we are a versatile and we have ex- farm in Puerto Rico for AES-Solar consisting of perience working in various countries,” he said. 23 MW’s.

For more information about Global Energy Services, visit www.ges-usa.com or call 1-610-940-6088.

windsystemsmag.com 29 Managing the Grid in Maui With the increased need for clean energy on the islands of Hawaii, ramp rate control, and curtailment and capture mitigation become more important than ever.

By Sherri Mabry

For more information on First Wind, visit www.firstwind.com. For more information on Xtreme Power, visit www.xtremepower.com.

Overlooking the scenic shores on a ridge- creases or decreases along the trade wind path, op- line in the West Maui Mountains, First Wind’s Ka- erational frequency is affected.” heawa Wind Project is helping Hawai’i Clean Energy Initial studies for the project by the Maui Electric Initiative realize its goal to provide at least 70 per- Company (MECO) asked how much energy could be cent of the power from clean energy sources by 2030. taken by the utility without upsetting the balance of “This is the second phase of a project on a very current electrical output, customer needs, and how small island electric system where this wind project a wind farm would impact the utility’s status with is quite large in proportion to the size of the elec- regulatory boards. The amount of energy could be tric system versus a similar site on mainland United supplied through wind energy were relatively low, so States,” said Tom Siegel, vice president of Transmis- it was determined that the island and MECO could sion for First Wind. “The challenge for us was the work in harmony if a 30 megawatt wind farm was variability of wind power. It can significantly impact constructed and connected to the grid. the reliability of the power system. As the wind in- The first phase known as Kaheawa Wind Project I

30 JULY | 2012 Fig 1: The final turbine on the Kaheawa Wind Project II is topped off in preparation for commissioning.

gether, and because the systems are small, curtailing the resources was necessary to maintain the reliabil- ity of the MECO electric system. “People often talk about wind generation in terms of the average . The Kaheawa wind project has an average capacity of 40 to 45 percent,” Siegel said. “The Kaheawa wind project provides about nine to 10 percent of all energy consumed on the island curtailing the energy was a concern for the Maui utility company who contracted us.” Since curtailment was paramount to the success of both the KWPI and KWPII projects, First Wind had to manage the system frequency, transmission rates and also store energy for later use. “When you add up the amount of utility-owned generation that has to be online and compare that to customer demand, there is often not enough of a difference to allow the utility to take all of the wind energy generation that’s available, so you curtail or back down and that’s where storage comes into play,” Siegel said. “Combining wind and energy storage give us the ability to store energy for use at a later time. We sought a way to smooth out moment-to- moment variability when the wind is gusting strong- ly or suddenly drops off. We needed a storage system and that’s how Xtreme Power’s system became in- volved,” he said. “The advantage of the energy stor- age system is it allows us to smooth out the variable wind generation and gives the utility company more time to make the decision of whether or not to start a generator when the wind generation drops unex- pectedly.” This situation in Kaheawa was a significant con- cern for the local island utility provider, but inves- tigational studies showed that by the electrical pro- vider with continuous status updates on turbines, and substation and the energy storage system, it would be possible to deliver more renewable energy to a community eager to remain eco-friendly. “As a wind farm developer, we had to ask ‘do we have the ability to control the energy we provide (KWPI) was completed June 2006 and now KWPII, to Maui’s grid?’” Siegel said. “We found the Xtreme a 21 megawatt site is due for completion in the next Power energy storage system was the right solution few months. for the situation we faced.” “The first phase is the wind turbines, substation The solution for First Wind and Kaheawa was an and operations support facilities, but has no energy alternative energy system that maximizes the winds storage system,” Siegel said. “Phase II includes 14 on the island’s grid with a technology that integrates wind turbines rated at 1.5 megawatts for a total of power management and energy storage into an intel- 21 megawatts of wind energy. Phase II also includes ligent package. the substation, integrated energy storage, and offices “We found that DPR was the right solution in this and facilities to monitor and maintain our integrated instance,” he said. “It helps us meet stringent per- power system.” formance requirements and supply more energy to KWPI provided First Wind the opportunity to the residents of Maui than would have been possible learn how the island and wind energy would exist to- without the energy storage.”

windsystemsmag.com 31 Fig 2: Xtreme Power’s containerized Dynamic Power Resource® (DPR®) with 1.5 MVA rated capacity and 15 minutes of energy storage duration.

Providing integrated power management and en- together in order to smooth the wind and match it ergy storage for KPWII was a natural fit for both to the grid,” said Alan Gotcher, president and CEO companies since they had already worked on the first of Xtreme Power. Maui project in 2008. In Maui, Xtreme Power provided a 10 MW/20 “MPWI was our first renewable integrated site MWh DPR to manage the renewable energy pen- where they took wind turbines and one of our Dy- etration rate increases where the likelihood of cur- namic Power Resource (DPR) systems and put them tailment is higher. By combining the Dynamic Power

32 JULY | 2012 turns on the alternating current when demand is high. Because this 10 MVA system has a dynam- ic range of 20 megawatts, the DPR can push or pull 10 megawatts of energy as needed. When the wind is highly inter- mittent, the intelligent controls command the DPR to charge or discharge to smooth the power to the utility. If the wind ceases, the utility can command the storage system via Automatic Generator Control (AGC) to discharge elec- tricity to the grid while the gen- erator is coming online. “Our system has several build- ing blocks,” Gotcher said. “Some- Fig 3: Xtreme Power’s 24/7 Operations Center allows Xtreme Power’s times it is mounted in shipping engineers to monitor all field installations remotely and analyze the containers that are 40-feet-long DPR®’s performance in Real-time. and situated at the base of the tur- bine or solar park. Sometimes it’s Resource for the 10-megawatt / 20 and capture less energy in the cur- a smaller box. It depends on the megawatt hour facility, the DPR tailment phase. Any excess energy numbers of turbines. It consists stores excess power during cur- is stored in batteries on site and of a gray box of one IGBT’s with a tailment periods and delivers the used at a later date when usage is silicon base with switches for high power to the grid when MECO higher. power demands. The system han- needs more energy. DPR also incorporates a semi- dles the power to the grid from the “Our system works with First responsive reserve capacity that batteries and manages real and re- Wind’s turbines to provide ramp control, frequency and voltage services, curtailment capture, and responsive reserves to help our customer, First Wind, make more money in its operation,” Gotcher said. With ramp rate control through the DPR, the wind farm and the utility provider are able to smooth the wind to accommodate for wind variability so that it becomes much less of an issue. “As an example, MECO might say ‘I need to count on you to con- trol the rate of change or ramp and it can’t vary by more than one megawatt per minute up or down,” Gotcher said. “We do this through software controls or en- ergy in the battery and we are able to add or subtract power relative to what the wind farm is captur- ing through our Dynamic Power Resource.” When the wind park generates too much energy, MECO and op- erators are able to ‘feather’ the blade props so they spin slower

windsystemsmag.com 33 Fig 4: To reduce dependence on fossil fuel generators, Maui Electric Co. (MECO) maximizes the exploitation of the prevailing winds by taking advantage of the additional 21 megawatts of wind electricity production generated at KWPII. active power for AC that connects to transformers in one. Dynamic means we can do all of this quickly; which step up the voltage to as much as 35,000 volts Power is how the industry looks at the output; and where the utility service takes the power.” Resources is to complement other things we man- The purple box inside the main system is the mas- age. That’s DPR or Dynamic Power Resource.” ter controller for the converter, which visually push- By managing the wind with the existing power es data to the company’s site in Texas where tech- grid using a system that offers curtailment capa- nicians working 24/7 can control and monitor data bilities, First Wind, MECO and Xtreme Power can lines from the farm to the utility provider as needed. provide a regulated amount of power at a given The DPR is bi-directional and can function in in- time, while still achieving a high return on the en- crements of five minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, ergy generated and sold to customers in an effec- one hour, four hours or six hours depending on the tive way. energy needs in a particular location. “Our first project using DPR was in 2006 at the “The battery size is dependent on the duration of South Pole,” Gotcher said. “Of course that was in the energy cycle and we use copper bussing bars in a remote location and we installed a DPR to a die- sizes from 1-2 inches thick; 2-3 inches thick; and up sel powered generator to operate a radio telescope to 2 to 3 feet long,” he said. “So the system acts like that is 20 feet in diameter. The telescope must ro- three components with energy storage, chemistry, tate every minute to capture a signal, so the chal- power, an electronic system controller and software lenge was how to use our Dynamic Power Resource

34 JULY | 2012 Fig 5: Xtreme Power’s integrated power management and energy storage solution is housed at the KWPII site overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

to rotate the telescope to gener- ate power at regular intervals and then store the power dur- ing breaks. We do an alternat- ing break and regeneration with capture so the break generates less power and stores the energy for later use. It does three million cycles per year and it pushes and pulls power as needed based on the available energy.” Xtreme’s DPR is installed in 12 sites around the world with eight customers and 26 more projects in the works, and Gotcher specu- lates on how his company might generate more business as the in- dustry evolves. Siegel adds that his role with First Wind is making sure each wind farm interconnects and integrates to the existing power grid where he and his employees coordinate with each utility com- pany to solve individual needs. “We have projects in Maine, Ver- Fig 6: A shot inside Xtreme Power’s 15 MVA rated DPR® at Kahuku mont, New York, Utah, Washing- installation on the island of Oahu, HI, First Wind’s second project with ton, and Hawaii and no project is Xtreme Power. the same.”

windsystemsmag.com 35 Kiting for Wind Power To access wind at altitudes above 200 meters, the Kite Power Research Group at Delft University in The Netherlands is capturing wind energy with Airborne Wind Energy (AWE), or computer-controlled kites.

By Dr. Roland Schmehl

Dr. Roland Schmehl is an associate professor at the Institute for Applied Sustainable Science Engineering and Technology (ASSET) at Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands. For more information, call +31 15 278 5318, email [email protected] or visit www.kitepower.eu.

The major part of atmospheric wind en- turbines, the additional investments in foundations ergy is inaccessible to conventional wind turbines. or mooring platforms are decisive cost factors. Computer-controlled kites provide an attractive solution to efficiently harvest this resource. High Altitude Wind Wind generally gets stronger and more persis- Airborne Wind Energy (AWE) systems are de- tent with increasing altitude. For this reason, tower signed to operate at higher altitudes. Common height is an important factor in the design of wind features of the many different concepts are flying turbines and greatly affects their power output and devices such as wings, aerostats, or hybrid designs, capacity factor. However, even the largest turbines which are tethered to ground stations and which in the megawatt-range cannot exceed altitudes can be controlled in altitude and flight path. Ad- much beyond 200 meters due to the structural lim- justing the operation to the prevailing wind condi- its of tower-based designs. For offshore and par- tions, significantly increased capacity factors can ticularly for deep-water deployment of such large be expected.

36 JULY | 2012 Fig 1: A 25 m2 traction kite flying high on a single- line tether.

Turbine or Traction Power? The existing approaches can be classified by the position of the electrical generator. “Flygen” con- cepts use either propeller turbines on the flying device or the flow-induced rotational motion of the complete device to drive on-board generators. The electrical energy is transmitted to the ground by a conducting tether. Essential advantages are the continuous generation and the comparatively simple launch and retrieval of the flying device, us- ing the generators as motors to provide thrust and lift for hovering away from and back to the ground station. Technological challenges are the develop- ment of lightweight generators with high power density and of conducting flexible tethers capable of withstanding high mechanical loads. Fundamentally different, “groundgen” concepts are based on the conversion of traction power us- ing cable drums and connected generators on the ground. Essential advantages are the positioning of the heavy system components on the ground and the possible optimization for maximum traction performance and controllability. However, a single flying device requires operation in periodic cycles, alternating between reel-out and reel-in of the tether. As a consequence, electricity generation is intermittent requiring buffering across the cycles. Continuous generation can be achieved by using multiple, individually controlled flying devices to drive a loop configuration. Converting the Traction Power of Kites One of these designs is the “”. Patented by former ESA astronaut Wubbo Ockels in 1996, it is based on a cable loop, which runs through a pulley at the ground station several kilometers into the sky. Kites are attached to the cable at equidis- tant intervals and by individually adjusting their aerodynamic properties for high lift in the upward Several concepts are already tested as prototypes moving section and low lift in the downward mov- and indicate that the technology is particularly at- ing section of the loop, where a net traction force is tractive for areas where conventional wind energy established driving the generator connected to the systems cannot be operated economically. pulley. The aim of the original concept is to access AWE systems have other distinct advantages. the kinetic energy of high altitude wind, however, Replacing the rigid tower of a wind turbine by a it is obvious that a realization of such a large-scale lightweight tensile structure directly translates into system with many connected airborne components lower investment costs and a lower environmental will be an outstanding technical challenge. footprint. The reduced visual and acoustic impact Avoiding the complexity of the airborne cable is an advantage for installations in ecologically sen- loop, the German company, NTS Nature Tech- sitive areas or tourist destinations, while the low nology Systems, is developing a prototype system weight and compact dimensions is particularly based on a cable loop, which is integrated into a suitable for mobile deployment. horizontal rail track for kite buggies.

windsystemsmag.com 37 Fig 2: The system is operated in periodic pumping cycles, alternating between reel-out (top) and reel-in (bottom) of the tether.

Most of the current activities are focused on single-kite sys- tems. A prominent example is the kite-based traction system for large cargo ships developed by the German company Sky- Sails. The commercially avail- able system can achieve fuel sav- ings of up to 35% using kites of up to 320 square meters surface area with up to 160 kilonewtons (kN) of traction force. Single- kite systems for energy genera- tion are based on the “ground- gen” concept. To maximize the energy generated in the reel- out phase, the kite is flying fast crosswind maneuvers (see figure 2 top). This substantially in- creases the aerodynamic forces, lift and drag, which depend on the square of the relative wind velocity that the kite experi- ences. Typical flight patterns are figure-of-eights or circles, which are both used by kite surfers to achieve high speeds. In the reel-in phase, the gen- Fig 3: 25 m2 Leading Edge Inflatable tube kite with suspended, tele- erator is operated as a motor and operated control unit. the kite is pulled back towards the ground station. The angle of

38 JULY | 2012 Fig 4: The Kite Control Unit incorporates two powerful micro- winches for steering and de- powering of the wing.

attack of the wing is decreased by rotating the kite into the relative wind to reduce the traction force (see figure 2 bottom). As a result of this de-power manuever, the reel-in of the tether requires only a small fraction of the energy generated during reel-out. Balancing the energy across the periodic pumping cycles requires a storage mechanism, which can be an integrated battery module or a mechanical flywheel mod- ule. For a group of intercon- nected systems buffer capacity is less of an issue as the systems can be operated with phase-shifted pumping cycles. The Kite Power Research Group of Delft Univer- sity of Technology initially tested a first experimental prototype of 3 kilowatts (kW) traction power in 2007 and since January 2010 a 20 kW prototype. The develop- ments are co-financed with one million Euros by the Rotterdam UnitedUnited Equipment Equipment Accessories, and Accesso Inc.ries Climate Initiative (RCI) and with Solving Challenges from the Inside Out.TM 136,000 Euros by the Dutch prov- ince Friesland. The 20 kW Kite Power System To minimize aerodynamic drag, a single cable is used to tether the Kite Control Unit (KCU), which is suspended some 10 meters be- low the kite wing (see figure 3), to the ground station. The cable Slip Rings is made of the high-strength plastic fiber, Dyneema. It has a diameter of 4 millimeters and a total length of 1 kilometer with the option to extend to 10 kilo- meters. A custom-made, Leading Edge Inflatable (LEI) tube kite CREATING A WIND REVOLUTION with a surface area of 25 square meters generates the traction UEA is creating a wind revolution with our wind turbine slip rings. force. The main components of Our customers receive comprehensive solutions with this inflatable membrane wing premium UEA performance and unmatched customer service. are the front tube, defining the curvature of the wing, the con- 800-394-9986 • www.uea-inc.com • Waverly, IA nected strut tubes, defining the

windsystemsmag.com 39 Operation and Test Results More than 400 pumping cycles (equivalent to 13 hours continu- ous operation)” have been re- corded and analysed in detail. The maximum operational al- titude depends mainly on local airspace regulations. At the pres- ent test site, the former naval airbase of Valkenburg, which is located in the controlled airspace of the international airport Am- sterdam, the operational altitude varies between 150 and 300 m, with the length of the cable vary- ing between 180 and 400 m. At a more remote test site, a maxi- mum height of 500 m with a maximum cable length of 700 m was possible. Depending on the wind velocity, the flight velocity Fig 5: Traction power over five consecutive pumping cycles: reel-out of the kite during reel-out is be- phases (P > 0) and reel-in phases. tween 70 and 90 kilometres per hour. To maximise the net energy per pumping cycle, the reel-in phase has to be as short as pos- wing profile, and the canopy. The December 2011 have confirmed sible with the tension in the ca- bridle line system connects the the reliability of the autopilot ap- ble as low as possible. However, front tube to the structural frame proach. de-powering the kite by rotating of the KCU. The design of the The ground station incorporates it into the relative wind nega- bridle system incorporates pul- the generator with a rated power tively affects the flight stability leys to allow for deformation of of 20 kW and a connected drum. and steering behaviour and in the curved wing when rotating Both are mounted on a sled, which practice, a compromise between during a de-power manuever. is part of the feeding mechanism achievable de-power and dimin- The KCU essentially is a cable for the tether (see figure 4). A re- ished flight authority is required. robot incorporating two small chargeable battery module with a For operation at a wind speed but strong motor-winches for capacity of 18 kilowatt-hours al- of 7 m/s, the cable force can ef- steering and de-powering of lows for stand-alone operation and fectively be lowered from 3.1 kN the wing using the two steering to cover periods of low wind by during reel-out to 0.6 kN during lines attached to the rear ends keeping the system employing re- reel-in at a speed of 5 m/s. of the wing tips (see figure 3). It verse pumping cycles. The ground The figure 5 shows the in- is connected to the ground sta- station controller uses measured stantaneous traction power at tion by two redundant wireless velocity and force data to adapt the drum over 5 consecutive links. The autopilot software the rotational speed of the drum pumping cycles, illustrating the runs on the ground station com- such that the forces stay within alternating energy generation puter and uses data transmitted the limitations of the system. An and consumption phases. The from the KCU–the control posi- important feature of the develop- oscillations during reel-out are tions and status of the different ment platform is the logging of all caused by the variation of the actuators–and from two sensor measurement data together with relative wind velocity during the units mounted on the kite. The the video streams of various cam- figure-of-eight flight manoeu- software alternates between two eras at the ground station, the kite vres, between 4 and 5 per reel- control modes corresponding to and the kite control unit. This data out phase in this particular test. the two phases of the pumping is used to analyse and improve the Considering the complete cycle, cycle: a figure-of-eight trajectory flight dynamics and structural dy- the traction power average is 4 control during reel-out, and sym- namics of the kite as well as the kW. As a result of systematic op- metry plane stabilization dur- performance of the complete kite timizations on component- and ing reel-in. The system tests in power system. system-level, affecting the kite

40 JULY | 2012 Fig 6: International research and development activities on Airborne Wind Energy in 2012. and bridle system design, the re- has been increased to presently energy system can be operated sponsiveness of the ground sta- 6.5 kW, with the goal to achieve even with very little wind on the tion winch and the flight trajec- 9.6 kW in the near future. The ground. In this case, the kite is tory, the traction power average tests have shown that the kite winch-launched, like a glider

Your #1 Source for Gear Machinery

Gould & Eberhardt is a pioneer in high-speed gear gashing with large diameter carbide- inserted cutters. Our new line of machines has a rigid design and heads engineered with state of the art gear gashing cutter technology. Gear gashing technology has opened many gear cutting applications in wind energy, mining, off-highway construction and other coarse pitch gearing.

Our gasher/hobbers are equipped with the new G&E interchangeable cutter head design. This design provides the option for 866.342.9073 both internal and external heads on a single

column machine with capacities 820 Cochran Street • Statesville, NC 28677 up to 5.5 meters. F: 704.872.5777 • www.rpmachine.com [email protected]

2.13_GE-HalfislandAd_5.75x4.125.indd 1 windsystemsmag.com4/13/12 9:49 AM 41 power systems can be deployed from inexpensive floating platforms, which are moored to the seabed to avoid drifting. The technology of semi-automated launch and retrieval of kites with surface areas of several hundred square metres from ships has been successfully developed and commercialized by SkySails. This demonstrates that large- scale offshore deployment of kite power systems in the MW- range is technically feasible. The environmental impact of an offshore wind park of kite power systems will be lower than that of a conventional wind farm. The cables leading into the sky are hardly perceivable from a distance and the same holds for the large membrane wings sweeping back and forth at higher Fig 7: Cable drum and 20 kW electrical generator. altitudes. As consequence, the new technology has the potential to significantly alter the public plane, until it picks up the wind tion winch switch to automatic perception of wind power and at higher altitudes. The current operation. The production cost thus accelerate the transition system can be operated at wind of a small-scale power system from fossil and nuclear energy to velocities up to 9 m/s, result- will be determined mainly by renewable energy. ing in a projected aerodynamic the ground station and the kite wing loading up to 30 kg/m2. For control unit, both incorporating Current R&D Landscape stronger wind a smaller kite can mechatronic components with of AWE Technologies be used up to the maximum wing various sensors and embedded A key challenge for current re- loading of 40 to 50 kg/m2 for kite control systems. The flexible air- search and development activities designs based on Nylon. borne system components – kite, is robust automatic operation of bridle system and tether – are tethered flying devices, which is Future Application optimized to capture and trans- a central requirement for reliable Areas fer the aerodynamic force to the base load power generation. Re- The specific design of kite power ground. Compared to the costs cent advances in flight control al- systems is attractive for a num- for structure and foundation of gorithms, modelling of structural ber of application areas. With a equivalent wind turbines, these dynamics, aerodynamics and rated power between 10 and 30 components are inexpensive. flight dynamics of flexible mem- kW, commercial derivatives of Due to material degradation, a brane wings, and the availability the technology demonstrator replacement in periodic intervals of hardware prototypes with sen- system are suited for distributed will be required, which will af- sor equipment have led to several generation of renewable energy fect the operational costs of the successful demonstrations of au- in remote areas or in disaster ar- system. tomated flight. Similarly impor- eas, especially when deployment Offshore wind energy could tant are technological advances and start-up times are crucial profit in a major way from the cost on high-strength, lightweight and and fuel supply is cost-decisive. advantage of kite power systems. UV-resistant materials to signifi- For stand-alone systems of this Since the generator is close to the cantly increase the durability and power range, full automation is sea level, the moment induced lifetime of the airborne system not strictly required and, con- by the traction force of the kite components and thus decrease sequently, ground personnel is a tiny fraction of the moment the maintenance effort and opera- can assist launch and retrieval induced by a wind turbine tower tional costs of AWE systems. of the kite. Once in the air, the rising to more than 100 m above The emergence of AWE as a kite control unit and ground sta- sea level. For this reason, kite new technology complementary

42 JULY | 2012 Fig 8: A 25 m2 tube kite flying cross wind maneuvers observed from the ground station. to conventional wind energy is relatively recent, The annual event for presentation of research mainly motivated by the drastically increased de- and development achievements, exchange of ideas mand for renewable energy. For example, the num- and development of new visions is the Airborne ber of institutions actively involved in AWE has Wind Energy Conference (AWEC). After the suc- increased from three in 2000 to presently over 40 cessful launch in 2010 at Stanford University, in (see figure 6). The last 5 years have also seen some California, the event was held in May 2011 in Leu- major investments. Since 2006, Google has invested ven, Belgium. Mid 2011, SkySails announced use of $15 million in California-based start-up company their technology base of kite-assisted ship traction Makani. In 2010, the company received an addition- as a starting point for venturing into power genera- al ARPA-E grant of $3 million from the U.S. gov- tion. Coincidentally, Garrad Hassan, a globally op- ernment and it recently won the Popular Mechanic’s erating wind energy-consulting firm, has published 2011 Breakthrough Innovator Award in the Energy a market status report on high altitude wind en- Category. ergy, critically analyzing more than 20 of the most In 2011 the high altitude wind power group of the advanced AWE projects. University of Leuven in Belgium received an ERC Business research and consulting firm Frost & Starting Grant of one million Euros from the Euro- Sullivan, and the German Fraunhofer Institute are pean Union. preparing technology assessment reports.

windsystemsmag.com 43 All Wires and Cables Are Not Created Equal When comparing life cycle costs for wires and cables in wind systems, consider the specific applications, cost per failure and dielectric losses to determine a cable’s return on investment.

By Sherri Mabry

For more information, call 770-832-4403 or visit www.southwire.com. Also call 1-800-441-4369 or go to www.dow.com/electric.

Choosing the right wires and cables wind energy assets because the lifecycle cost of for wind farms may be one of the most important such a major investment is an important consider- elements to consider in terms of longevity, reliabil- ation,” said Jim Rosborough, North America Com- ity of service and cost of ownership for the system. mercial Director, Dow Electrical &Telecommuni- At the AWEA Windpower 2012 show in Atlanta, cations. “We see some developers choosing cheap GA, many industry leaders lamented the fact that and unreliable products that fail early and often employing best practices in selecting equipment when maintenance and replacement is not in the and materials are not always the reality. budget. This could have been avoided by using the Wire and cable manufacturers in particular say right product from the beginning of the project.” they are disappointed to see customers sacrificing In the rush to cash in on wind energy, some de- projects by choosing lesser quality materials. velopers trade low first costs for higher total cost “Reliability and cost of ownership of all wind of ownership over the life of the system. The lowest farm components should be the top priority in cost wind project is when you do it right from the

44 JULY | 2012 using off-quality materials,” said Ron Burchfield, director, Renewable Energy, Southwire Company. “The resulting cost of repairs from using off-quali- ty materials is eventually passed to the owners and operators and ultimately the customers.” Wire and cable suppliers and manufacturers see this as a problem with some of the developers that have only a short-term interest in a project before selling to a permanent owner. The realization of quick profits by using lower quality components will come at the expense of owners and users of the system.” “Wind assets make money when they deliver en- ergy to the grid. In other words, what comes out of the substation is what the wind farm gets paid for,” Burchfield said. “So all materials going into the system – from turbines to cable – need to be of a high standard from the beginning.” Engineers say the rush to commission more wind farms has outstripped the usual development cycle of trial and error that results in mature technolo- gies that define the equipment suited for the job. This may result in purchasing decisions based on lowest initial cost of ownership, not solutions that provide the best choice in terms of cost of owner- ship, network stability, higher maintenance costs and more downtime. Carol Godfrey, vice president of marketing and product development for Southwire’s Energy Di- vision agrees. “If you deliver value with high per- formance assets and time, energy and engineering talent is considered and used properly, you’ll find longevity because of the pride and quality of work- manship throughout the system. Wire and cable is a key component of those systems.” In a paper by the IEEE PES Wind Plant Collector System Design Working Group titled, Design and Application of Cables and Overhead Lines in Wind Power Plants, the authors provided a summary of the most important considerations for wind power plant collection systems. In their research, cable selection, cable properties, cable splicing and con- struction above or below ground were all consid- ered. “Ease of installation and handling, as well as jacket material, insulation and rating, short circuit beginning. Costly repairs to fix a project won’t be withstand ratings, and conductor material are all sustainable in the long term,” he said. considered important in reliability and longevity of Potential failures and repairs can saddle own- the wind power system. ers, operators and ultimately the communities they “Making quality cable and using quality cable serve with unexpected expenses, higher utility should be part of best practices for the wind in- prices and premature equipment failure. dustry. The industry currently lacks standards that “Wire and cable components constitute a rela- are used in traditional power systems,” Burchfield tively small percentage of the total cost of the proj- says. “We’re confident in our reputation and our ect – less than one percent. And the difference in product because we’ve had cables, manufactured cost between quality components and lower qual- to meet or exceed power industry standards in ity, lower price components can be less than 10 the ground with major energy companies and our percent. Therefore it doesn’t make sense to endan- products are still doing the job.” ger the reliability of a $500 million wind project by Dow E&T also has a successful history with its

windsystemsmag.com 45 Other Products Showcased at Windpower 2012 Helukabel USA also discussed its cable product line, which includes the HELUWIND WK-Series ALU DLO cables are developed and tested to provide a service life of more than 20 years, according to the manufacturer. These products use specially stranded copper or finely stranded, flexible aluminum and unique conductor and jacket insulation compounds. Alexander Kanouni, regional sales manager, said the WK-Series offers superior resistance to torsional stress with a wide operating temperature range and the line meets Global UL, CSA, VDE and CE global approvals for use in both on and off-shore projects. The JZ 603 and JZ603-CY control cables, which recently received certification from CCC (China) and GOST-R (Russia) for use in wind turbines, and In addition to UL, CSA and HAR certification. The Powerline ALU DLO is designed for use within the tower of the turbine to transfer electricity generated in the nacelle to the base of the tower for disbursement into the power grid. These low smoke, zero halogen power cables are extremely flexible and easy to install, according to the manufacturer. The Powerline ALU offers turbine manufacturers and operators cost savings from lower metal surcharges and a 50 percent weight reduction and easier handling with increased flexibility for tight bending radii. The manufacturer said these flexibly screened or unscreened wind turbine TC-rated cables are suited for transmitting data and power to the operating components within the turbine’s nacelle and tower base. The TRAYCONTROL cables are also oil resistant, flame retardant and compliant with NFPA 79 2007 standards and made to withstand hot and cold climates around the world. These flexibly screened or unscreened, Wind Turbine TC-rated cables are best suited for transmitting data and power to the operating components within the turbine’s nacelle and tower base. Protected by PVC, PUR or TPE outer jackets, the TRAYCONTROL-Series has been TC-ER, PLTC-ER, and ITC-ER approved for open installation. Additionally, TRAYCONTROL-Series cables are oil resistant having passed Oil Res I and II, flame retardant according to the FT4 flame test, compliant with NFPA 79 2007 standards and have been extensively tested for use up to 10,000 cycles. For more information, visit www.helukabel.com.

46 JULY | 2012 products and Rosborough says Rosborough continued by say- Dow works with cable mak- ing that Dow has demonstrated ers such as Southwire to deliver that proper material selection materials such as DOW EN- is critical to the performance DURANCE HFDC-4202 EC, an of cable in field applications by advanced performance tree-re- conducting rigid testing and sur- tardant cross-linked polyethyl- veys of utility cable engineers ene (TR-XLPE) MV insulation to who identified several attributes insure reliability. they consider valuable for reli- “Dow E&T upgraded its me- able performance. dium voltage (MV) insulation Like Dow in the insulation of to achieve a new level of perfor- products, Southwire is the lead- mance for underground (UG) ing wire and cable manufactur- cable manufacturers, installers er in North America, offering and utilities,” Rosborough said. utility cable products, includ- “The HFDC-4202 EC provides ing overhead and underground easier installation, lower operat- transmission and distribution ing costs for the wind farm, en- cable and other products for hanced reliability, longer life and industrial applications. South- optimized asset management.” wire’s complete renewable en- “Dow is excited to partner ergy solutions include wire and with Southwire because quality cable for turbines, towers and materials combined with qual- collection, overhead and under- ity cable manufacturing delivers ground transmission and substa- the best outcome for customers,” tion wiring. Rosborough said. “Wind power “Wind is one of the fastest producers must ensure reliabil- growing segments of our energy ity of the power connection for portfolio,” Burchfield said. “As a the duration of the wind farm full-line cable supplier for this lifecycle.” market, we’re excited to let our

windsystemsmag.com 47 customers know how South- wire’s cables ensure reliable, cost-effective power through- out the life of renewable en- ergy systems.” Rosborough said unplanned cable repairs are costly in terms of maintenance and downtime is a profit killer that could be avoided by installing cables that exceed utility in- dustry standards in UG cable for wind power applications. “TR-XLPE insulated MV cables made with DOW EN- DURANCE products have been operating in-ground for Figure 1: Examples of Cable Defects years,” Rosborough said. “We know our products will last because they’ve already been tested in traditional utility applications. We have done studies with utilities to dig up cables to assess long-term performance. In one study, after 17 years in service, the insulation exceeded in pro- viding electrical strength and long wear well above NA-AN- SI / ICEA minimum require- ments. These same cables, now 30 years in service, says a lot about the product; same thing with Southwire’s cables and wires. They have been in business 60 years in tradi- Figure 2: Water Tree Length @ 40°C (ASTM D6097) UCC Water Tree tional utility applications and Growth Test at 5 kV, 1 kHz, 0.01 M NaCl, 3 mm needle tip since the beginning with wind turbines in the U.S., and their products are still performing as expected.” Rosborough said the insula- tion materials are produced at the company’s plants in North America and reduce dielectric losses to increase the amount of energy delivered, while eliminating failure and repair costs. The insulation results in clean and consistent per- formance, retention and mag- nitude of electrical strength efficiency. The jacketing’s physical characteristics resist moisture absorption, the con- ductor shield is fully bonded Figure 3: HFDC 4202 Water Tree Comparison, ASTM D6097; 30 day and the insulation shield is Aging easy to strip.

48 JULY | 2012 Coleman’s Wind Power Cables Available Coleman Cable Inc, offers a variety of cable solutions to insure the requirements and demands of all wind generation systems will be met for the effective transfer of power onto the grid. With several years experience in the wind industry and hundreds of installations in the U.S. and abroad with both standard and custom cable designs, CCI, says the success of cables depends on proper copper fabrication, torsion testing, and installation. Coleman offers single conductor, control, grounding and multi-conductor cables among others. The single conductor cables rated 600v, 1000v and 2000v feature flexible or extra flexible stranding inE P, XLP or TPE insulations with CPE, TPE and Polyolefin jackets that can withstand temperatures of 105ºC, 90º C or 75º C in wet or dry applications with a -40º C cold impact option. Rated WTTC, RHHW-2, PPE, AWM, FT-4 and UL, CSA, ETL or c(UL) certified. For more information, visit www.colemancable.com, or call 1-800-323-9355.

He attributes the success of his company’s prod- Additionally, they produce the cables used with- ucts to extensive testing and validation processes in the wind turbine and tower, the cables used and a commitment to produce wire and cable prod- withstand the substation and a full line of both ucts that exceed current power industry standards. overhead and underground high voltage transmis- Burchfield agrees that being committed to de- sion cables. veloping the best products available is important As a single source providerwind turbine DLO, to meet the unknown challenges of the renewable kV Cable, for transferring power in wind turbines market, both on and offshore in a variety of de- in wet or dry areas. This cable resists oils, acids, manding applications. alkalines, heat, flame and has abrasion resistance. Southwire also offers a complete line of products As a single-source provider for cables from gen- for the wind market, including its TR-XLPE me- eration to transmission, Burchfield says the com- dium voltage cables, overhead CAMV cables, 2KV pany’s customizable solutions may help to improve power cables, fiber-in-duct and grounding conduc- costs, reliability and compliance throughout the tors, all used in the wind farm collection system. energy chain.

windsystemsmag.com 49 Individual Pitch Control and Its Impact Larger wind turbines with longer rotor blades and higher tower structures are creating technical challenges for turbine designers, but problems can be resolved with proper planning.

By Dr. Sherif El-Henaoui

Dr. Sherif El-Henaoui is the European Marketing Director, Moog Industrial in Böblingen Stuttgart, Germany, and Varese, Italy. He is responsible for developing and implementing the marketing strategies for Moog Industrial in Europe. For more information, visit www.moog.com/wind.

How can we develop wind turbines that Given the opportunities and challenges in wind reduce the overall cost of electrical power genera- energy, we see the need for close cooperation be- tion? When answering this question, investment tween turbine designers and key system suppliers. costs as well as operating and maintenance This means companies combining their strengths (O&M) costs have to be taken into consider- and expertise by jointly engaging in research, as ation. One of the focal areas of this paper is load well as the development of prototypes and systems. reduction as it can play a key role in increasing Our partnership approach for developing future turbine efficiency and lifetime. When trying to re- wind energy solutions is further explained at the duce loads on turbine structures, designers focus end of this White Paper. on pitch control systems. We present recent tech- nological developments and research results in this Developments in the Wind Energy Sector field, especially concerning Individual Pitch Con- How are we going to meet our energy demands trol (IPC). in the future? When governments and businesses

50 JULY | 2012 Figure 1: Comparison of electricity generation costs for selected renewable and conventional technologies.

of electricity generation costs of conventional power plants using coal, lignite or nuclear fuels. [1] Consequently, wind parks are emerging from the state of research or pilot projects to commercially attractive investments. Large energy companies are increasingly investing in wind power. Among these investors are companies specialized in wind power but also electrical power suppliers who are relying on a mix of fossil, nuclear and renewable energy sources. When planning new wind parks, espe- cially in Europe, one of the main hurdles is getting approval from authorities. Due to regulations with respect to landscape protection and noise control, the sites available for new wind parks are increas- ingly located offshore or, in the case of onshore installations, in remote areas. These sites are of- ten characterized by poor access, extreme climatic conditions or non-ideal wind conditions. For the manufacturers of wind turbines this means facing new challenges: their wind turbines need to with- stand extreme temperatures and work efficiently for a wider range of wind speeds. The installation of turbines in areas with poor access also places increased emphasis on operating and maintenance (O&M) costs. The growing importance of wind energy as a source for electrical power generation leads to stricter requirements concerning reliability and predictability of the power supply. Meeting grid worldwide draft strategies to answer this question, code requirements with respect to frequency and renewable energies play an increasingly important voltage becomes more and more important for role. Among renewable energies, wind energy has operators of wind parks. Large energy companies gotten a head start in the race towards competitive- engaged in the wind power business are likely to ness. Electrical energy generated by wind power focus their development efforts on meeting these can already compete with energy generated by fos- requirements. [2] sil or nuclear sources. [1] The necessity to lower the overall cost of elec- According to a study of the Fraunhofer ISE from trical power generated by wind turbines (cost per December 2010, wind energy plants in locations mega watt) has led to a trend towards larger tur- with favorable wind conditions can already com- bine sizes. Especially for offshore installations the pete with conventional power plants. The costs for cost of the foundation represents a substantial part electricity generated by onshore wind parks are of the overall investment cost. It proved to be more currently 0.06 to 0.08 €/kWh, which is in the range cost efficient to build wind parks with fewer large

windsystemsmag.com 51 wards larger wind turbines. Indi- vidual pitch control (IPC) plays a key role in compensating loads. So what is IPC? Any pitch con- trol system allows control of the turbine speed and consequently the power output. It also acts as a brake, stopping the rotor by turning the blades. Moreover, pitch control, especially an IPC system, has a role in reducing fa- tigue loads on the turbine struc- tures. Recently developed wind turbines are variable speed tur- Figure 2: Learning curve based forecast for the development of electricity bines capable of adapting to vari- generation costs until 2030. ous wind conditions. This adap- tion is realized via new generator concepts on the one hand, and a pitch control system on the other hand. Pitch control means the turning of rotor blades between 0° and 90°. When wind speeds are below rated power, typically below 12 m/s, the rotor blades are turned fully towards the wind which means that the pitch is po- sitioned at 0°. At increasing wind speeds the pitch of the blades is controlled in order to limit the power out- put of the turbine to its nominal Figure 3: Evolution of standard rotor diameters. value. When wind speeds reach a predefined threshold, typically size turbines than a large number sored by the European Commis- 28 m/s, the turbine stops power of smaller turbines. [3] sion. While the power output of production by turning the blades commercial wind turbines is usu- to a 90° position. Evolution of standard ally in the range of 1 to 7 MW, Collective pitch control adjusts rotor diameters the upwind project evaluates the the pitch of all rotor blades to the However, larger turbines with feasibility of a 20 MW turbine. same angle at the same time. In longer rotor blades and higher [4] [5] contrast, IPC dynamically and tower structures are creating individually adjusts the pitch of technical challenges for turbine Individual Pitch Control each rotor blade. Based on cur- designers. The longer the rotor How can designers build wind rent individual loads this pitch blades, the stronger the effect of turbines with longer lifetimes? adjustment is carried out in real- any in homogeneities of the in- Recent economic and technical time. The main benefit of IPC coming wind field. Examples of developments such as the pres- is the reduction of fatigue loads such in homogeneities are lower sure to reduce the overall cost on the rotor blades, the hub, and wind speeds close to the ground of electricity generated by wind mainframe and tower structures. and higher speeds with increas- turbines, the necessity to reduce In order to compensate these ing distance from the ground O&M costs as well as increased loads, especially symmetric loads (wind shear). Such a gradient of emphasis on reliability and pre- caused by inhomogeneous wind the wind speed translates into dictability of power production fields, the pitch of each rotor an asymmetric load on the rotor make it urgent to find a techni- blade has to be adjusted inde- blades. The feasibility and tech- cal solution to that question. pendently from the other blades. nical challenges of large wind Load reduction is a key element A reduction of fatigue loads has turbines has been the subject of of the solution. In addition, load two considerable advantages: It recent studies and publications, reduction gains an increasing allows lighter designs and trans- notably the upwind project spon- importance due to the trend to- lates into longer lifetimes of

52 JULY | 2012 Figure 4: IPC individually adjusts the pitch of each rotor blade (pitch 1, 2 and 3). wind turbines. What is meant by lighter designs? In cases where components are designed according to fatigue loads, a reduction of these loads allows savings in cost and material notably for the rotor blades and the tower structure, which are the most Figure 5: The main forces acting on a wind turbine. expensive elements of a wind turbine. Moreover, lighter rotor blades enable a more efficient turbine, also be necessary to fully benefit from recent de- especially in low wind conditions. Finally the load velopments in wind measurement. The newest reduction through IPC gives designers the option measurement technologies such as LIDAR (Light to develop low wind turbines from existing designs, Detection and Ranging) provide real-time informa- which means a reduction of time to market. tion on wind conditions and forecasts for the next few seconds. Based on this information it becomes Load Reduction – possible to prevent peak loads by using IPC to de- A Technical Overview velop preventative load alleviation strategies. [4] During start-up, regular operation (power genera- Advanced blade sensing systems provide infor- tion) and shutdown a wind turbine is subject to mation about the load condition of the rotor blades various forces causing peak loads and fatigue loads. in real-time. These monitoring systems rely on sen- In the context of this paper we shall focus on fa- sor technology using e.g., optic fibers embedded tigue loads because they can be influenced by pitch in the rotor blade material. Using IPC and blade control systems most effectively. Let us consider a sensing systems to adjust pitch actions to the actual wind turbine in operation at nominal wind speed loads measured for each rotor blade individually and above, and have a look at the forces acting on becomes an obvious choice. the main elements of the turbine e.g., rotor blades, hub, mainframe, and tower. The rotor blades are Economic Considerations and subject to periodic bending forces. These bend- Technical Challenges ing forces are acting in two ways: First, edgewise Compared to collective pitch systems, IPC systems bending in the direction of the rotor movement and require higher investment costs. These invest- second flap wise bending in the direction perpen- ments relate particularly to a more complex control dicular to the plane of movement. There are also strategy, higher requirements for the pitch motor forces on the hub, mainframe and tower structures. and increased fatigue loads on the pitch bearings These forces have two effects, in particular on the and pitch gears. However, as shown in the graphic tower: The yaw moment (Myaw) is twisting and the below, the cost of any pitch system is low in com- tilt moment (Mtilt) is bending it. parison to the overall cost of a wind turbine. The When designing strategies to counterbalance the savings in other components due to reduction of forces discussed above, a first step is an analysis: fatigue loads have the potential to compensate for The Fourier analysis gives what is usually called the the extra investment for an IPC system. When cre- 1p, 2p, 3p, components of the loads. Classic IPC, ating the business case, turbine designers would which is most often used, only compensates for therefore need to consider the entire cost of a wind the 1p component. Other components can also be turbine. When not only investment costs, but also addressed by IPC but their compensation requires O&M costs are taken into account, IPC could be increased pitch activity and more dynamic control even more beneficial. This is due to load reduc- systems. Highly dynamic control systems would tions, which translate into an increased lifetime of

windsystemsmag.com 53 Figure 6: Simulated load reductions through IPC.

Figure 7: The main benefits of IPC during the life-cycle of a wind turbine (conception, design, construction and operation). turbines. Experts predict increas- For these reasons, the best and Servo Drive, Pitch Motor, Slip Ring ing potential for reducing the total fastest results are expected through and Blade Sensing System are all cost of ownership for turbines us- close cooperation between manufac- designed and manufactured by ing IPC systems. To achieve this it turers of turbines and IPC systems. Moog. A partnership approach in would be necessary to optimize and adapting to our clients’ needs is es- adjust existing systems through Expertise and Partnership pecially important. This approach careful evaluation of, not only the Approach is characterized by the flexibility components of the IPC system, but In the field of pitch control sys- to adjust to the technology cho- of the entire turbine design. Focus tems for wind turbines, Moog has sen. We can tailor our products for should be on the evaluation of ex- in-depth experience highlighted example to the needs of electric as treme loads during start-up and by an installed base of more than well as hydraulic pitch systems. shut-down, fatigue loads on the 25,000 systems. We are a supplier main shaft and main bearing, the of all necessary products for pitch Demand For Renewable use of new types of pitch bearings control systems, including soft- Resources and the optimized utilization of ware and hardware. This means Demand for electrical power load sensors. that critical products such as Pitch generated by renewable sources

54 JULY | 2012 electrical signals and energy for blade pitch power and control. The fiber brush slip rings offer wind turbine owners a minimum of 100 million revolutions of operational life with no maintenance. REFERENCES [1] Kost, C., Schlegl, T. Studie Stro- mentstehungskostenerneuer- bare Energien. Fraunhofer ISE, Freiburg,Germany. December 2010 [2] El-Henaoui, S. Wind Farm Requirements are Changing. Moog Research Report. Unna, Germany. April 2010 [3] Spada, S. The Reliance on Wind Energy Depends on Advancements in Blade Pitch Control. ARC Insights, Insight # 2010-23MPH. July 2010 Figure 8: Relative component costs for a wind turbine with rated power in the [4] UpWind, Design limits and so- 2MW range. lutions for very large wind tur- is increasing on a global scale. pany’s wind industry products and bines. The Sixth Framework The prospects in the wind energy expertise span both electric and Programme for Research and sector are especially promising. hydraulic technologies. For exam- Development of the European However, this development also ple, by precisely monitoring wind Commission. EWEA, Brus- brings new challenges including: loads on blades, the rotor moni- sels, Belgium. March 2011 Larger turbines, wind parks in re- toring system improves the tur- [5] Bossanyi, E., Wright, A., Flem- mote areas with difficult climatic bine’s life span and maintenance ing, P. Further Progress with conditions and higher expecta- costs. Predictive maintenance is Field Testing of Individual tions on reliability, flexibility and vital to wind park operators be- Pitch Control. Garrad Hassan predictability of electrical power cause the cost of a shutdown and & Partners Ltd., Bristol, UK generation. When turbines are subsequent turbine repairs is high. [6] Shan, M., Duckwitz, D. Study getting larger, load reduction, The Pitch Systems also improve on Individual Pitch Con- especially for asymmetric loads safety when the wind turbine loses trol, Internal Report. Moog caused by inhomogeneous wind electrical power. The pitch system & Fraunhofer IWES, Kassel, fields, becomes more and more puts the turbine blades off-wind Germany. March 2011 important. Consequently, the into a safe operating mode that [7] Rösmann, T., Adelt, S. Kolle- manufacturer anticipates that protects the wind turbine from ktive- und Individuelle Pitch IPC will play an increasingly im- damage. When the wind blows at Regelung von Rotorblättern. portant role as the most common 25 meters per second (50 mph) Moog & VDI Wissensforum, technology capable of compen- or higher, a wind turbine needs a Unna, Germany. April 2011 sating asymmetric loads. The ul- failsafe to put its blades at an angle [8] Engelen, van T.G., Hooft, timate aim of this cooperation is where the load is reduced and the van der E.L. Individual Pitch to reduce the overall cost of elec- wind turbine stops. Found in the Control Inventory. ECN- trical power generated by wind hub of the wind turbine, the Moog C--03-138. June 2005 turbines. To achieve this it is Pitch System consists of: con- [9] Hauptmann, S. et al. Deliver- necessary to reduce the total cost trol boxes containing Moog Pitch able D1: State-of-the-Art-Re- related to the design, construc- Servo Drives; Wind Pitch Servo port. PROTEST project, Uni- tion and operation of wind tur- Motors; and, a control system in- versity of Stuttgart,Germany. bines to develop the wind energy cluding software for remote diag- April 2009 solutions for the future. nostics and back-up power. [10] Rösmann, T., Adelt, S. Moog Moog has supplied more than The company also offers slip IPC Integration - Techni- 27,000 systems and products to ring solutions, which are critical to cal Assessment of MLS Ap- many of the world’s top-ten wind operation. Found inside the wind proach. Unna, Germany. turbine manufacturers. The com- turbine’s nacelle, slip rings provide June 2010

windsystemsmag.com 55 PRODUCT SHOWCASE

Virtual Power Stations Communicate With ‘bluecom’ From Bachmann Electronic

The requirement placed on state-of-the-art wind farms to respond to the power grid like a single conventional requires the use of a central wind farm controller: communication is required in very high speed. Bachmann electronic presents ‘bluecom’ – a communication solution specially developed for smart grids. ‘bluecom’ is based on conventional Ethernet technology and provides affordable and easy to implement communication for fast and reliable information exchange in real time. The transmission protocol was specifically optimized with regard to the particular requirements of future-proof energy systems. The prime objective of these measures is to maintain the stability of the grid by enabling energy parks and virtual power stations consisting of a large number of decentralized power generation plants to respond quickly. The new communication protocol ‘bluecom’ Bachmann provides an important foundation for the transition to a smart grid and the use of regenerative energies for electricity generation. It is another contribution by Bachmann electronic to the active development of the power grid of the future. For more information, visit www.bachmann.info.

Companies wishing to submit materials for inclusion in this section should contact Sherri Mabry at [email protected]. Releases accompanied by color images will be given first consideration.

56 JULY | 2012 O&M Products Increase Equipment Reliability and Reduce Downtime and Failure

For O&M applications on wind turbines, Henkel Corporation has the same standards and technology as introduced a full line of Loctite® adhesives, sealants, lubricants and Loctite® GL-approved rotor blade assembly coatings for installation and maintenance of blades, nacelles, towers materials, polyurethane repair resins and bases. offer superior long-term dynamic fatigue For rotor blade repair, Loctite® high performance polyurethane strength, outstanding tensile shear strength, resins cure rapidly at room temperature, significantly reducing resistance to aging, and creep performance. downtime associated with blade maintenance. Developed using Specifically formulated to restore composite blades, these resins are used to patch and repair structural cracks on blade tips and stress risers, impact damage caused by lightning and bird strikes, and leading edge wear and erosion. On the nacelle, Loctite® O&M products provide excellent UV/moisture resistance to seal against harsh weather conditions. Cleaners and lubricants keep equipment running reliably. High-traction coatings prevent slipping on interior and exterior walkways. And anaerobic products maintain threaded fasteners, joints and flanges. Loctite® O&M products seal out moisture and prevent corrosion on tower sections, load support plates, platforms, bolt heads, ladder frames and metal surfaces. Products are also used for ladder bonding and thread locking. On the base, Loctite® fast curing grouts facilitate tower installation and ensure the structure is level and secure. Sealants prevent water ingress around electrical cables and concrete repair products correct damage and cracks. To view the full line of Loctite® products for wind turbine installation and maintenance, visit www.henkelna.com/ windpower.

windsystemsmag.com 57 Positioning Spray by 3M Integrates During Infusion Process

3M™ introduces the new 3M™ Adjustable Composite Positioning System (ACPS) 11095, a spray designed for pre-infusion resin bond dry reinforcements and composite matrices. The unique properties of 3M™ ACPS 11095 enable it to integrate into the part during resin infusion, eliminating read-through and transition layers in the part post-cure. This patent-pending system offers manufacturers benefits in productivity, esthetics and flexibility. 3M™ ACPS 11095 is uniquely formulated to be compatible with most resin systems, including polyester, vinyl ester and epoxy resins. It goes down easily on both flat and curved mold designs, and after spraying, the product builds tack within seconds and is tack-free in two to three minutes. Designed with ease-of-use in mind, the product features a unique color change system that gives it a blue color when first sprayed, then fades to clear as it cures. With this feature, users can easily see the amount of coverage they’ve achieved, and also have a visual indication of the curing cycle. 3M™ ACPS 11095 is not affected by ambient temperature and/or humidity, allowing it to be used in a variety of manufacturing conditions. Additional user-friendly features of 3M ACPS 11095 allow substrates to be easily repositioned without leaving fibers behind, simply by peeling back an individual layer and reapplying. If the coating dries before laying up of materials, an additional coating can be applied at a lower rate, which reactivates the previously applied coating. The product also enables manufacturers to use less than competitive brands. 3M™ ACPS 11095 has the ability to hold most types of reinforcement and to maintain the position of reinforcement for days without sagging. With typical usage, users will see little to no change in laminate shear properties. Available in aerosol cans as well as five-gallon and 55-gallon containers compatible with most traditional spray equipment, the product is also easy to clean up with most solvents. 3M™ ACPS 11095 is approved by Lloyd’s Register and DNV. For more information contact 3M Technical/Application Support at 772-343-7300, or Customer Service/Ordering at 1-855-380-6553 or visit www.3M.com.

58 JULY | 2012 Easily Erect and Disassemble Scaffolding with Scaffold Ratchet

When the job calls for erecting scaffolding to work at an elevated level, the new Williams® Scaffolding Ratchet from Snap-on Industrial Brands can be a true time saver. The scaffolding ratchet is three tools in one. The ratchet includes tools that erectors need to easily and quickly engage the posts, fasteners and clamps on scaffolding. Since most scaffolding uses 7/8” hex nuts, the ratchet comes with a 1/2” drive pinned 7/8” six-point socket. Opposite of the socket is a bronze hammerhead, which comes in handy to pound out quick-release levers. Lastly, a pry bar is located at the other end of the ratchet to aid in scaffolding disassembly.

Other features and benefits of the scaffolding ratchet include: • 36-tooth gear with 10-degree of engagement for working in tight areas • Supertorque lobular opening for greater turning power without deforming the fastener • Easy access reversing level to change working direction with only one hand • Bronze hammerhead to reduce rebound • Tethering device to prevent dropped tools

For more information about the Williams® Scaffolding Ratchet from Snap-on Industrial Brands, call

800-446-7407,canwea-conf12-ad-WS-half-print-v1.pdf or visit www.snaponindustrialbrands.com. 1 12-05-18 10:25 AM

TORONTO

20 2 CANADIAN WIND ENERGY ASSOCIATION C ANNUAL CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION

M TORONTO, ONTARIO • OCTOBER 14–17, 2012 Y This premier event will bring together over 2,500 experts from around the world CM to discuss opportunities in Canada’s growing wind energy industry. It will provide

MY an exclusive opportunity to network and generate new business leads.

CY JOIN US AT CANADA’S LARGEST CMY WIND ENERGY CONFERENCE

K

www.canwea2012.ca

windsystemsmag.com 59 Sonoco Expands EcoReel Recycling Program

Sonoco is expanding its innovative EcoReel® recycling program to include scrap cable recovery at wind farm construction sites. Together with associate company American Cable Recyclers, Sonoco takes care of unwinding, securing and purchasing high-value #1 and #2 insulated or bare brite copper remnants. The company also unwinds, stores and buys scrap URD and other cable plus knock down and remove and recycle the wood reels. “This new program is a convenient way for wind farm contractors to keep the site safer and more secure,” said Wendy Williams, Recycling Operations Manager at Sonoco. “Our customers as well as the utilities, contractors and distributors they supply can quickly recognize the environmental and fiscal advantages of reusing wood reels.” A member of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI), Sonoco recovered over 44,000 wood reels in 2011 saving nearly 15,000 trees. All viable reels are put through a rigorous seven-step process to make sure every recycled and refurbished reel will deliver like-new performance. Reels can often be reused three or more times. Sonoco’s EcoReel recycling program began in 1991. For more information, call 828-330-0379 or visit www.sonoco.com.

60 JULY | 2012 Availon’s New Positioning Controller Improves Availability

Availon, Inc., a premier independent provider of parts and engineering services to the in North America, is pleased to introduce a thoroughly redesigned, robust, and cost-efficient pitch controller. True to the company’s “We Listen” stance, Availon has partnered with Lenord + Bauer, the world renowned manufacturer of innovative automation systems for industrial motion sequences. The premise for the extensive re-design of the pitch controller was the customers’ feedback and the ability to do a root cause analysis by Availon’s engineers who singled out several issues that needed to be addressed, such as: communication problems; damages, caused to the controller’s circuit board by the constant vibration and environmental contaminates; damages to the controller and the controlled components from voltage spikes; and the disparity between specified temperature range and actual operating environment. To minimize turbine’s failures, the new innovative design features robust and reliable communications from the Pitch Controller to the axis cabinet components. Circuit boards are specially coated to prevent loosening due to vibration and to guard against corrosion. Improved RS communications now provides a higher tolerance for voltage spikes. Upgrades to the controller’s components allow it to handle a wider temperature range, from -40oC to +70 oC. John Boorman, Availon North America Director of Sales, notes: “Availon’s mission has always been improvement of wind turbines availability. The new pitch controller is a perfect example of our engineering capabilities to design custom solutions that reduce or eliminate reoccurring fault problems and shortcomings.” For more information contact [email protected] or [email protected].

windsystemsmag.com 61 MARKETPLACE

Big Support In A Small Package Blade Stabilizer Bags

Gearbox Repair • Affordable From the world’s reliable • Adjustable gearbox specialist. • Convenient • Durable/Reusable ZF is a trusted and reliable transmission technology partner for top OEMs world- • Environmentally Safe wide. We use our 95 years of experience when it comes to servicing your wind turbine gearboxes. Replaces ■ Multi-brand capability Styrofoam, ■ Global service network Hay, etc... ■ Supplier quality management ■ Complete drivetrain overhaul ■ Up-tower repair and exchange units ■ Availability assurance programs 3 Blade stabilizer bags Contact ZF today, we’re here to help. ground tarps, 12 stakes, www.zf.com/windenergy | 800.451.2595 Blower and storage bags.

Call us at 806.336.3068 or www.AirUps.com IronClad WindSonic™

DUTY bolt Cap

• sheild against salt water intrusion • Resists ice damage • 4 seperate sealing surfaces • A dditional UV Protection

Ultrasonic Wind Speed NEW! & Direction Sensors

Norm Tooman Construction, Inc. the standard of the industry. 1-800-FIX-A-BOX 800.359.0372 (349-2269) BOOTH #6865 normtoomanconst.com www.dynamax.com

62 JULY | 2012 ADINDEX

AirUps...... 62

Alpha Magnetic Workholding ...... 17

American Wind Energy Association (AWEA)...... 2

CanWEA ...... 59

Cincinnati Gearing Systems...... 33

Delta Rigging & Tools...... 13

Dow Electrical & Telecommunications ...... 9

Dynamax...... 62

Encoder Products Company...... 11

Highline Products...... 19

JLM Systems Inc...... 47

Kalamazoo Valley Community College...... BC

Lapp USA...... 1

Maxwell Technologies Inc...... 7

Norm Tooman Construction Inc...... 62

NTT Workforce Development Institute...... IFC

Pamco Machine Works Inc...... 62

Phoenix Contact...... 4

Romax Technology US Wind ...... 63

RP Machine Enterprises Inc...... 41

Sandvik Coromant...... IBC

Shermco Industries...... 25

Stahlwille Tools NA Inc...... 62

Trachte Inc...... 63

United Equipment Accessories...... 39

Wind Systems...... 15

ZF Services North America...... 62

windsystemsmag.com 63 Wayne Kilcollins Q&A Wind Power Technical Institute /Northern Maine Community College

chanical engineering and a master’s degree in engineering management. I have spent 25 plus years with organizations developing automated assembly equipment, implementing process improvements, and assisting with techni- cal training. These organizations include Bell Laboratories, First Technol- ogy, and General Electric. This background has given me an appreciation for organizations that develop and service industrial equipment. After many years of field experience, I felt it was time to turn my attention to sharing what I have learned with the next generation of engineers and technicians. Why did you decide to write Maintenance Fundamentals for Wind Technicians? My initial effort with the Northern Maine Community College Wind Power Technology program was to find textbooks that would be appropriate for each of our new courses. I spent time searching the Internet and speaking with publishers to find textbooks that would match the needs of our pro- gram. There were textbooks available for general wind energy information, bachelor and graduate level engineering courses, but none that focused on What is your role the certificate or associate level wind technology programs. After several with Northern Maine discussions with publishers, one called back and said they were looking for Community College? someone to write a textbook that would match my needs and those of sev- I have been the lead instructor for eral other colleges looking for the same type of material. Writing a textbook the Wind Power Technology pro- was new territory for me, but I figured it was worth the time to pull my dis- gram at Northern Maine Com- cussion materials into one textbook that would fill a need for our program munity College for the past three and other wind energy technology programs. years. A portion of my role has been to develop curriculum for the Will Maintenance Fundamentals for Wind Technicians associate level program that match only be available for students at NMCC or will it have current and anticipated skills for a mass audience? wind technicians through discus- Maintenance Fundamentals for Wind Technicians will be available for any- sions with wind industry leaders one interested in wind energy technology. I developed the material to ex- both in the project development plain some of the basic skills necessary to work with wind turbines and then and operations and maintenance expanded on these skills to show how they are used with typical maintenance arenas. My other roles have been to activities of community and utility size systems. The publisher coordinated deliver course material and identify peer reviews of the textbook material with instructors from several of the equipment that may be used for wind energy technology programs within the United States. Their feedback students to practice skills. Our pro- was invaluable in ensuring that the material would meet their needs as well gram has been successful in obtain- as those of my students. I believe the textbook material will be valuable in ing much of the necessary training explaining how skills learned in the classroom and lab setting will be used equipment through private and in the field. corporate donations. Our efforts have enabled many of the program Explain how the textbook will benefit students in graduates to enter the workforce in practical applications? wind related career opportunities. Discussion materials within the textbook and instructor materials will as- sist instructors in facilitating classroom discussions of what basic skills are What is your background? necessary for careers in the wind energy field. The expanded discussions of My educational background in- how these skills are used in the maintenance and operation aspects of wind cludes a bachelor’s degree in me- energy technology will assist students in pulling these concepts together for work activities. Supplemental materials provided to instructors will aid in To order the textbook developing activities for students to use in practicing necessary skills before scan QR code they enter the workforce. The textbook material not only focuses on hard or enter the URL technical skills to complete a task, but also on the soft skills necessary to do http://htl.li/byPcw the task safely and communicate necessary information to others such as their supervisor, engineers, and customers.

Visit www.nmcc.edu or call 207-768-2842.

64 JULY | 2012 WindSystemMagzine5.875x9_WindSystemMagzine5.875x9 6/11/12 7:25 AM Page 1 WIND TURBINE TECHNICIAN ACADEMY Competency Based, Hands-On Training Industry Guided Curriculum Safety Training Certification BZEE Certified Graduates 24 week, Full Time Program Competitive Application Process

269.353.1250 kvcc.edu/wind